Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

TikTok user under fire for filming robbery

‘The one time I went to a grocery store by myself and it got robbed’

Bevan Hurley
New York
Wednesday 23 February 2022 17:10 GMT
TikToker films alleged armed robbery in Philadelphia
TikToker films alleged armed robbery in Philadelphia (@urfavehotmilf/TikTok)

A TikToker who posted footage of an alleged armed robbery at a convenience store in Philadelphia has been criticised for apparently putting herself in harm’s way.

The video, posted by a user calling themselves “Janni”, shows two men in ski masks enter a store and appear to rob the cashier. The video has attached 850,000 views.

Janni’s face appears to grimace in fear during the TikTok (urfavemilf/tiktok)

The person starts to walk towards the phone, and Janni can be seen putting her arm over her mouth in fear.

“The one time I went to a grocery store by myself and it got robbed,” she wrote in text overlay on the clip posted on 10 February.

In two subsequent TikTok videos she explained she started recording because she was scared.

She said she captured two men in bright ski masks who pulled out guns and demanded money from the cashier, while other customers took cover.

Some commenters questioned why she wouldn’t have tried to call the police or tried to hide.

“You seriously just filmed them you didn’t take cover or anything?” one commenter asked.

“We all die young,” Janni replied.

One person commented: “Natural selection at that point.”

“Maybe 911 would have been a better choice then filming,” another said.

In a third video posted on Wednesday, other customers can be seen hiding down an aisle as the armed robbers appear to talk to the cashier.

Another commenter thought the clips could provide evidence for police to find the perpetrators.

“Everyone’s mad ur recording but watch this video help solve the case,” one TikToker remarked.

Several users ask Janni for more details about when and where the alleged robbery took place, but she did not offer any more detailed information.

The Independent has contacted Janni and the Philadelphia Police Department seeking more information.

Under TikTok’s community guidelines, users are banned from posting content that “depicts, promotes, normalizes, or glorifies” risky behaviour.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in