It comes as a shock to many that Apple has decided to close down their store location in Charlotte, North Carolina after multiple shooting incidents. The high-tech brand is known for their beautiful stores. However, this can also be a setback for them as their expensive products are constantly on full display.
According to MacRumors, the Apple store in Northlake Mall, Charlotte will permanently close on Wednesday, March 1 at 4:00 p.m. There are plans for a new location in the Charlotte area to open their doors next year.
In the interim, customers in Charlotte can visit the Apple SouthPark location. Reports from Bloomberg states that three recent shooting incidents in the mall “contributed” to the decision to close the store immediately, which is an uncommon move. Until Tuesday, employees were unaware of the upcoming closure, and the website made no mention of it.
Netizens react to the Apple store closing
I live by there. It never used to be like that, I don’t have any clue why all of a sudden gun violence has gotten out of hand. That mall is loosing money fast.
— Brandon Banner (@Brandon_Banner) March 2, 2023
Netizens who formerly lived in the area states that it was never like this a few years ago. They are just as surprised as others when finding out about this. Many are wondering as to why the gun violence in Charlotte is rising.
What’s the buddy system?
— AlbertA1908 (@albertv020) March 2, 2023
It appears that Apple employees even have a “buddy” system for situations like gun violence. There was even a mass email regarding a thief shooting an employee. Hence, those who are working not just for Apple, but other stores as well would have this system for their own safety.
Shootings at Northlake Mall
There has been a number of reported shootings at the mall. In February, there was another shooting at Northlake Mall that was investigated by CMPD. During the altercation between two individuals, a single shot was fired, resulting in no injuries.
On the 1st of March, another shooting incident occured. This time, no injuries have been reported. It is a weird trend that multiple shootings are happening at the same mall. The shootings may encourage more stores to leave the location in order to protect their employees and customers.