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       Dozens of people were arrested after a group of teenagers looted several stores in Philadelphia’s Center City District on Tuesday. The flash-mob-style ransacking at stores such as Apple, Foot Locker and Lululemon came after a peaceful protest over a judge’s decision to dismiss all charges, including murder, against former Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial in the Aug. 14 fatal shooting of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry. Interim Philadelphia police commissioner John Stanford said at a news conference that the looters, who were seen on video in masks and hoodies, were not part of the protest but rather “a bunch of criminal opportunists.”

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       The facts

       After the protest over the Irizarry case ended around 7:30 p.m., Center City District businesses reported to police that they were being broken into or getting ransacked starting around 8 p.m., Stanford said. Video posted to social media shows people “dressed in black attire and wearing masks” running out of Lululemon and Apple with merchandise. Police said another “coordinated attack” unfolded at Foot Locker. Stanford said officers arrested between 15 and 20 people on Tuesday night for actions that he underscored were not related to the protest. The number had grown at least 52 by Wednesday evening, police spokesperson Jane Roh told the Associated Press. “These were not protesters. These were criminals. These were people that took advantage of an opportunity and looking to destroy our city,” Stanford said. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney (D) posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he appreciated the swift and necessary arrests. “This was a sickening display of opportunistic criminal activity, and we will not stand for it,” he wrote. He added that his office was working with police to “assess which areas of the city may need increased coverage or additional resources to ensure the safety of our residents and businesses.” Foot Locker spokeswoman Olivia Mata confirmed to The Washington Post that “our team members are safe” after the ransacking at the City Center District store. “The safety of our team, and that of customers, remains our number one priority,” she said in a statement.

       Background

       The looting began shortly after all charges against Dial were dismissed in the fatal shooting of Irizarry during a traffic stop, a case that has gripped the city for weeks. Police initially told reporters that Irizarry “lunged at the officers” with a knife outside the car when Dial shot the Puerto Rican man through a rolled-up window. But police later acknowledged that was not the case after body-camera footage showed that Irizarry was holding a knife near his right leg as officers pulled him over for erratic driving on Aug. 14.

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       Dial fired six rounds at Irizarry only about seven seconds after stepping out of his vehicle, video shows. Dial, a five-year member of the force, was initially suspended for not cooperating with investigators. He was fired Sept. 18, according to police.

       Attorneys for the former officer argued that Dial acted in self-defense when he shot Irizarry at close range. Dial believed that the man had a gun, the attorneys said. Municipal Judge Wendy Pew agreed with Dial’s defense on Tuesday in a ruling that stunned Irizarry’s family and attorneys.

       “We are going to continue to fight for justice, because that was wrong.”

       — Aracelis Brown, Irizarry’s cousin, told the Associated Press

       The looting also unfolded the same day that Target announced it was closing nine stores, including locations in New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, because of a stretch of theft and organized retail crime that has become a threat to customers and employees. In recent months, stores across the country have been targeted by flash-mob robberies, after-hours break-ins and thefts mid-supply chain.

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       What we don’t know

       According to the AP, at least 52 were arrested and charges had been filed against 27 adults and three juveniles as of Wednesday evening. But it was unclear how many of the others might have been juveniles, or whether they were from Philadelphia or outside the city.

       No injuries were immediately reported. Police have not specified the cost of the damage to the stores.

       What’s next

       The local liquor control board closed 48 locations, according to WPVI-TV, an ABC affliate. Businesses such as Fine Wine & Good Spirits announced that all of its stores will be closed until further notice after nearly 20 locations were burglarized. Mata told The Post that Foot Locker is “monitoring the situation and taking proper precautions.”

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       “It’s disgusting,” Stanford told reporters. “We made arrests, and we’re going to continue to make arrests. We’re going to press on and continue until we have all those folks in custody.”

       The sentiment was echoed by Irizarry’s aunt, Zoraida Garcia, who told the Philadelphia Inquirer that vandalism and looting are “not going to bring justice to my family or bring my nephew back.”

       Jaclyn Peiser contributed to this report.

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