Pokémon card releases have gotten out of control, with police chases happening and GPS tracking devices being deployed as people go nuts. Things have gotten so crazy that cops are now investigating after someone was shot over the cards at an Indianapolis Kroger store.
According to a preliminary investigation conducted by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, a disagreement over Pokémon cards motivated the shooting.
Someone called officers to the Kroger store on the near east side of Indianapolis, just before 7 p.m. on April 11, in response to a report of a shooting victim. When they arrived, the officers discovered a man with gunshot wounds in the Kroger parking lot.
WTHR News reports that paramedics took the man to a nearby hospital in “serious but stable” condition. Hospital staff later informed the police that the victim had surgery and is now in “stable” condition.
Pokémon vendors don’t feel safe
In another instance of just how nuts it has gotten with Pokémon cards, vendors recently found that someone had placed GPS tracking devices on their vehicles on the first day of an expo.
“Some seriously bad news in the TCG community after an amazing first day of the expo. A few vendors came outside and discovered GPS tracking devices placed on their vehicles. We immediately came together and contacted police — they’re actively dealing with it now,” a vendor with the handle Pokestop519 wrote.
“After about 20 minutes of checking vehicles, we noticed a suspicious car sitting at the back of the parking lot with no license plate. As we approached it, the driver sped off, jumped two curbs, and took off. Most likely, these were the individuals responsible for placing the tracking devices.
“This is a reminder to everyone in the hobby: Please be extremely careful when attending shows, leaving venues, and heading home. Stay aware of your surroundings, travel in groups when possible, and don’t take chances.”
In yet another case, In yet another case, Pirates & Princesses reports someone threw coffee on a cart full of Prismatic SPC cards, a car hit the cart, and the car ran over the boxes at a Pokémon card drop. That incident resulted in police giving chase.
Pokémon cards have become the target of international crime
A recent report by CNN claims things have gotten so out of hand that an international crime spree has been ignited by Pokémon cards.
On March 7, two thieves smashed through a window at a store in Graham, Washington. In less than two minutes, they made off with nearly $10,000 worth of Pokémon cards. Another card shop robbery in March in Abbotsford, British Columbia resulted in thieves stealing $25,000 worth of Pokémon cards.
Also, this year, thieves have hit collectible shops in Las Vegas, New York City, Vancouver, and Nottingham, England, resulting in over $500,000 in stolen cards.