It turns out that a 16-year-old boy was behind the racist intercom announcement last week at a South New Jersey WalMart, ordering black people to leave the store, angering customers and forcing embarrassed company managers to apologize.
The boy, whose name is not being released because he is a juvenile, was arrested Friday on charges of harassment and bias intimidation in the incident at WalMart’s Washington Township store. Apparently the boy thought it would be a funny joke to make the announcement, but local officials weren’t laughing. “This was an extremely disturbing event on many levels,” Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton said at a news conference. “Any statements like these that can cause harm or grave concern must be addressed as quickly as we possibly can.”
Authorities released the boy on his own recognizance and into the custody of his parents.
