Shot Over Cardboard

Man Shot at Store Due to Pokémon Card Argument

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

On Saturday, April 11, two shoppers at a Kroger grocery store in Indianapolis, Ind. were in line at a Pokémon machine when one customer cut the other to get to the sealed Pokémon product. They began arguing with each other. Then, shots were fired.

In recent years, fights over Pokémon cards have been frequent due to the monetization of the  Pokémon Trading Card Game; people now treat the cards and sealed products as a financial investment, not a hobby. Scalpers wait in long lines to seize new product releases to resell for a higher price. However, this is the first time that a gun was used in a fight over Pokémon cards.

The victim is stable after undergoing surgery. The suspected shooter was detained, and two pistols were taken for evidence.

“I think it’s totally ridiculous. I’m not a collector of them, but I understand some are very expensive,” Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Captain Don Weilhammer said. “But like I said, we were told it was an argument. It wasn’t like someone was trying to steal one from another person.”