Open Letter to Rockford Walmart Where Employee Was Fatally Stabbed

A few weeks ago I stopped into my neighborhood Walmart to pick up a few things I've had on my list including razors, and some new white t-shirts.

Little did I know how much security I would have to go through just to get my hands on a few things?

Because of the Increase in Shoplifting, Some Items Are Under Lock and Key

When I went searching for One Blade razors, I didn't see the replacement cartridges I needed anywhere on the Walmart store shelves. Then I noticed a glass case that was locked, and behind the glass were the razors I needed.

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Now I have to hit a button to alert customer service that I'm waiting near the razors so a Walmart associate has to bring the special key that unlocks the glass display case with razor cartridges.

Next, I was going to grab a couple of packs of white t-shirts, and some new socks. When I got to the Walmart clothing section, I noticed these metal crates that had all the socks, underwear, and t-shirts behind bars.

T-shirts and Boxers are Locked Up, But Anyone Can Grab a Knife or Hatchet

Once I saw the boxers and t-shirts securely locked up so no one could easily steal them and save Walmart from losing profit, I started to wonder if they also locked up the knives in their kitchen and appliance section after what recently happened to one of their employees.

RELATED: Rockford Walmart Employee Fatally Stabbed in Apparent Hate Crime

Back in March of this year (2024), an 18-year-old Walmart employee at this same Rockford store on Northridge Drive was stabbed in the back by a man who was seen on security camera video "grabbing a silver kitchen knife and red hunting knife off the store shelves" and walking around the store "giving all of the African American people dirty looks."

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After an incident that took the life of one of their employees, all knives, saws, blades, and hatchets at this Walmart would be securely placed inside the same metal boxes they have t-shirts and underwear in, right? Nope.

I was pretty shocked at how easily I could find many things around the store that were weapons, including the same section where a man pulled a knife just a couple of months earlier and tragically took the life of 18-year-old Jason Jenkins.

Maybe if knives and hatchets start being shoplifted and Walmart loses profit they'll start locking them up.