John Stanford, the acting police commissioner of Philadelphia, stated that large groups of young people stormed several stores, including an Apple store, stealing merchandise and vandalizing property. By midnight, the police had arrested over 20 individuals, many of whom were minors, and at least two firearms were recovered.
The unrest spread from downtown to North and West Philadelphia, targeting commercial corridors along Aramingo Avenue and Walnut Street throughout the night. Initial reports of the break-ins emerged near Rittenhouse Square after 8 PM, shortly after peaceful protesters were dispersed from City Hall, where they had gathered to call for justice for 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry, who was shot and killed by a Philadelphia police officer last month.
The judge dismissed all charges against Officer Mark Dial, who killed Irizarry, which sparked a wave of outrage in the community. Irizarry's family and supporters, some wearing shirts that read "Justice for Eddie Irizarry," expressed their shock at the verdict.
However, Stanford emphasized that Irizarry's supporters were not involved in Tuesday night’s disturbances, describing the youths participating in the looting as "opportunistic criminals who are exploiting the situation and trying to destroy our city."
Videos posted online showed groups of youths breaking into the Apple Store, then moving down the building to Foot Locker and Lululemon, with several teenagers fleeing the store with clothing as officers tried to apprehend some of them.