A 21-year-old Ohio man went into a Goodwill store in Elyria with his mother for a routine Saturday shopping trip. However, what unfolded inside quickly became terrifying. Police say the trouble started when Anthony Ball allegedly shouted a racist insult at a Black cashier after she offered to wrap glassware.
When the Ohio cashier stepped away and called over a supervisor, his anger only escalated, with witnesses reporting he hurled obscenities at staff while ignoring his mother’s pleas to calm down. Ball then allegedly grabbed a skillet from a shelf and struck a supervisor in the head, drawing blood, according to The Chronicle-Telegram.
When Ross called her supervisor over, she said Ball swore at her again. He also allegedly cursed at the supervisor and was “carrying on with his mother begging him to stop,” Ross told police. Earl Kehle, whose wife works at the Goodwill store, said that he was preparing to drop in and visit her when he saw customers streaming out of the store in a panic.
He initially thought there was a shooting and people were fleeing a gunman, but when he went inside, he said he saw Ball hit someone with the skillet. “When I came into the store, he was attacking people,” Kehl said. “He hit the boss lady across the head with a frying pan.”
Ohio Customers Flee Goodwill, Others Step In
He reportedly smashed shot glasses over the same supervisor, leaving the floor covered in glass and blood, while pulling down clothing racks and causing chaos throughout the store. While one terrified cashier hid in a dressing room with only a chair for protection, fearing the man might break in and attack her.
Panicked shoppers poured out of the store, some fearing an active shooter. One man, whose wife worked at the Goodwill, ran inside to find Ball attacking the staff. He tackled Ball and pinned him in a chokehold while others helped restrain the man until police arrived. Ball even bit the man’s finger during the struggle, drawing blood.
Police later commended the brave bystanders who stepped in to protect staff and customers. The cashier who was initially targeted said the outburst was shocking and violent enough to nearly turn fatal. “It’s lucky he didn’t kill anyone,” she told investigators.
What began as a simple trip to a neighborhood Ohio Goodwill ended with chaos, blood, and fear. Anthony Ball’s alleged rampage left staff and shoppers traumatized, a store in disarray, and a stark reminder that even everyday errands can spiral into life-threatening situations in an instant.
Nina Franklin 
Emma Taylor 
Kenna Raye 
