Massive Fight Breaks Out at Publix After Shirtless Man Attacks Shoppers

It was pure pandemonium inside a Miami Publix on Thursday when a shirtless man ripped a metal shelf from its base and began swinging it at terrified shoppers.

According to police and multiple witnesses, chaos erupted just before 5 p.m. inside the busy supermarket when several fights broke out near the checkout lanes. Within seconds, the store descended into a “full-on brawl,” as one shopper described it.

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“It was like a scene out of a movie,” said a customer who gave her name only as Maria. “People were screaming and running. You could hear metal crashing and someone yelling, ‘He’s got a weapon!’”

Video captured the moment 20-year-old Climont Mann tore a large metal shelf from a display and slammed it onto the floor before swinging it wildly at anyone nearby. Authorities said Mann struck at least three people before police arrived.

“He picked up part of the shelving like it was nothing,” another witness told NBC Miami. “He just started swinging. People were ducking and hiding behind carts.”

Police said they arrived to find two large groups of people outside the store hurling plates and other objects at one another. Additional officers and rescue crews were called in to restore order.

Two people were treated on the scene for injuries, while two others were transported to a local hospital. Officials have not released the cause of the brawl or what sparked the violent confrontation.

Mann was arrested and charged with aggravated battery, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct. Court records show he has a prior arrest for battery in Miami in January 2024.

“He’s known to us,” a police source told local media. “He’s been in trouble before, and what happened inside that Publix could have been a lot worse.”

The shocking scene comes just weeks after a similar melee erupted at a Walmart in Indianapolis, where a group of women attacked a store employee. That incident was also captured on video and went viral online, sparking renewed concern about rising violence in retail spaces.

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing more and more of this — customers turning aggressive and using whatever’s around them as weapons,” said criminologist Dr. Steven Hall of the University of Miami. “It’s a reflection of broader social tensions we’re witnessing across the country.”

Publix has not commented on the incident but confirmed the store temporarily closed for cleanup and safety inspections.

As of Friday morning, Mann remains in custody.