Employee Killed In California Home Depot Confronting Shoplifter

An employee at Home Depot was shot and killed in Pleasanton, California, highlighting rising concerns over fugitive crime in the Golden State. Employee Blake Mohs was shot and killed while attempting to prevent a steal. A lot of people are leaving California because of the rising crime rate and the prevalence of stealing, and this instance highlights why.

At around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, complaints came in about a guy who was bleeding inside the Johnson Drive Home Depot. According to eyewitnesses, Mohs tried to halt a theft in process but was shot by the thief. After the shooting, the suspects drove away, but the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office tracked them down to the 7000 block of Ney Avenue in Oakland.

In a statement, Home Depot conveyed its deep sorrow over the tragic loss of life. Our deepest sympathies go out to Blake’s loved ones and to those who worked with and knew him.

The sad truth is that this has happened before. In October, an 83-year-old worker at a Home Depot was killed after a thief pushed him to the ground during another audacious heist. It’s concerning that situations like these are happening more often in California.

The state’s permissive stance toward theft from stores is a contributing factor to the rising crime rate. Nonviolent property and drug charges were downgraded from felonies to misdemeanors in California with the passage of Proposition 47 in 2014. Theft of property under $950 is now considered a misdemeanor and usually results in either no arrest and no punishment other than a warning.

Shoplifting has increased dramatically all throughout the state as a direct result of Proposition 47. Since thieves have been given a freer hand, stealing has become more brazen, putting the lives of store staff and customers in danger. Because of the state’s increasingly dangerous atmosphere, a large number of individuals are leaving California for other, less dangerous states.

Residents in the Pleasanton area are particularly shocked by the shooting, as the community is not known for such incidents. “I’m scared right now. I can never imagine that in Pleasanton, this kind of thing can happen,” said local resident Subho Mukherjee.

Despite the rise in crime and the risks staff confront, several security professionals advise against any interaction with shoplifters. Retired police officer and security expert Michael Leininger stressed the need of encouraging staff to “observe and report” rather than intervene to prevent thefts.

It’s time for California to rethink its attitude to crime and stealing in the wake of Blake Mohs’s untimely death. The social fabric of California, along with its residents and companies, must be safeguarded by new policies.