All Philadelphia Liquor Stores Closed After Night of Looting

All of Philadelphia’s liquor stores will be closed Wednesday after several locations were broken into during a rash of looting incidents late Tuesday.

More than two dozen Fine Wine & Good Spirits locations across the city — as well as one in Cheltenham Township, just outside the city — will stay shuttered Wednesday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, citing a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

The citywide closure came after at least 18 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores were among the retailers looted by mobs of masked teens late Tuesday, the spokesperson, Shawn Kelly, said.

“Fortunately, no employees were hurt, although some were understandably shaken,” Kelly said.

Stores will remain closed Wednesday “in the interest of employee safety and while we assess the damage and loss that occurred,” Kelly said.

The looting came shortly after a peaceful demonstration was held in the Center City neighborhood to protest charges being dismissed against a former police officer in the shooting death of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry, but police said the looting was not related.

“What we had was a bunch of criminal opportunists take advantage of a situation and make an attempt to destroy our city,” Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford said.

In addition to the liquor stores, looters ransacked Apple, Lululemon, Footlocker and Walmart locations.

A security guard at the Footlocker was assaulted amid the mayhem, CBS News Philadelphia reported.