This is Happening everywhere and its getting Worse!

Nov 9, 2026

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This is Happening everywhere and its getting Worse!

A woman's frightening Walmart encounter with a stranger who followed her through the store, and practical self-defense and situational awareness tips to help you stay s

Published November 9, 2026

A woman reported being followed through a Walmart store by a man she had first noticed in the women's clothing section. Store security reviewed the footage and identified the man's behavior as more concerning than she had initially realized. A male commentator, who has a background in military service, then outlined situational-awareness practices and personal safety measures. This article summarizes both the account and the recommendations.

The Incident

The woman went to Walmart at about 11:00 a.m. to return items and buy shoes for her daughter's family photos.

First observation: While she shopped in the women's clothing section, she noticed a man about 10 years older than her. He walked slowly past her several times without carrying anything and looked at her repeatedly.
Layout: Women's and children's clothing are grouped together in the store, and men's clothing is located on the opposite side. She stated that the man had no clear reason to be in that section.
Confrontation: After the third pass, she made eye contact and gave him a hostile look. He smiled.
Following: She moved to the shoe department and crouched to compare a shoe size. When she stood up, she saw the man again. She went to another part of the store, and he followed her throughout the store without concealing it.
Phone contact: She called her husband, who stayed on the line while she went to check out.
Self-checkout: At the self-checkout area, the man approached within 2 to 3 feet of her. He held a bag of merchandise and stood still, looking directly at her.
Staff alert: She told a store employee at the self-checkout area that a man had been following her. When the man saw her speak to the employee, he left quickly through the opposite side of the store.

Store Security Response

Store staff took her report seriously. Security personnel, described in the account as undercover employees, located the man and took her to an office to identify him on camera.

According to the account, the footage showed that the man had:

Hidden in places within the store
Searched for her when he lost sight of her
Looked everywhere when she crouched near the shoes, apparently believing he had lost her

She stated that the behavior was worse than she had realized. Nothing physically happened to her. She stated that she was grateful the store believed her and treated the matter with zero tolerance.

Commentary on Situational Awareness

The commentator presented the following recommendations.

Recognizing Suspicious Behavior

Observe patterns. Notice whether the same person repeatedly appears nearby or remains in one location for an extended period, such as at a stop sign or parked near a building entrance.
Respond to the person. Make eye contact or greet the person. The commentator stated that a person's response often shows whether their intentions are suspicious. He cited the practice of waving at people: those who do not wave back may be surprised to be noticed.
Consider context. Not all individuals who appear out of place are dangerous. The commentator noted that single fathers, parents, and caregivers shop for children and perform tasks that are unfamiliar to them. He cited a personal example of asking an older woman for help cooking a turkey at Thanksgiving because no one else was available to instruct him. He also stated that men dropping children at daycare are sometimes mistaken for predators.

Documenting and Identifying

Obtain a clear image. Take a photograph of the person, or a selfie with the person visible in the background. The commentator stated that a visual record is the most effective way to identify someone.
Provide a description. Law enforcement will request a description and an image.
Use surveillance cameras. The commentator described cameras as a key source of evidence.

Testing for Surveillance

Double back. Walk a looping route, then retrace steps. A person who reappears in the same location is likely following.
Turn repeatedly. In a vehicle, make three or four right turns, then three left turns. A vehicle that continues to follow is likely tailing the driver.
Vary routines. Change routes and destinations unpredictably. The commentator stated that this produces evidence that a person is following rather than being coincidentally nearby.

Avoiding Risk in Public Spaces

Assess the environment. Review the parking lot before entering it. Note unfamiliar vehicles that remain stationary, vehicles with multiple occupants, and vans.
Maintain focus. Keep attention on surroundings rather than a phone or headphones. Remove headphones in higher-risk situations.
Avoid isolated areas. Stay away from alleys and dark spaces.
Request escort. Ask staff to walk you to your vehicle. If someone is following you, call law enforcement.
Be cautious of objects left in public areas. The commentator warned that items such as money on the ground, fruit placed on a car, or notes on a windshield may be traps. He stated that such items may be laced with an illegal drug, which he did not name.

Responding to an Approach

Set boundaries. Tell the person not to approach any closer.
Maintain distance. Place an object, such as a shopping cart or car, between yourself and the person. Keep moving while speaking.
Establish a position. If a confrontation is unavoidable, state where you stand and make loud noise to attract attention.
Choose a location. The commentator stated that a public setting offers better chances of survival than an enclosed vehicle, where the person may control the situation.

Other Recommendations

Share location. Use location-sharing services with a spouse or partner.
Anticipate ambush tactics. The commentator stated that attackers often work in groups of two, three, or four. One person may approach with a question, such as asking for the time or directions, while others position themselves nearby.
Learn from an incident. He described a friend, a former airborne ranger, who was robbed at gunpoint by occupants of a van as he walked from an academy. The van's sliding door opened, the attacker displayed a firearm, took the friend's wallet, and left.

Commentator's Views

The commentator stated that the risk of violence against women has increased and that human trafficking is a serious threat. He also stated that law enforcement budgets have increased without resolving these problems. He described these views as his own assessment. He stated that the recommendations apply in many settings, including retail stores, travel abroad, and the commute between an office and a vehicle.

Introduction

The speaker introduces the topic as a warning about women being targeted and promises practical self-protection advice.

The speaker says the situation is happening to women everywhere.
The speaker presents herself as someone with some background in self-protection.
The video frames the story as an example of how to protect yourself.

The Walmart Encounter Begins

At about 11:00 a.m. at Walmart, the speaker notices a man, roughly ten years older than her, repeatedly walking slowly past her in the women's and children's clothing area without a purpose.

The incident happened at Walmart around 11:00 in the morning.
The speaker went to return a couple of items and to buy shoes for her daughter's family photos.
The man was about ten years older than the speaker.
He walked past her slowly, carried nothing, and stared at her.
The speaker noticed him on the second or third pass and found it strange because the men's clothing section is on the other side of the store.
He kept circling where she was.
After the third pass she made eye contact and gave him a dirty look; he smiled at her.

Being Followed Through the Store

The man kept following the speaker through the store, hiding and searching for her. She called her husband, stayed on the phone, and went to self-checkout, where he approached her, then left through the opposite side of the store when she spoke to a worker.

While she was crouched comparing shoe sizes, the man was seen again.
She moved to another part of the store, and he followed her throughout the store without hiding it.
She called her husband, asked him to stay on the phone, and said she was going to check out and leave.
At self-checkout, the man came within two to three feet of her carrying a bag of items as if he had already paid.
He stood and waited and looked directly at her.
When she approached a Walmart self-checkout worker and said a man was following her, he quickly left through the other side of the store.

Store Security Response

Store staff, including undercover personnel, took the report seriously, let the speaker identify the man, and showed her camera footage that revealed he had been hiding and searching for her.

Walmart staff took the report very seriously and called over undercover personnel.
The speaker was taken to an office to identify the man and was shown camera footage.
The footage showed the man hiding in places and looking for her, which was worse than she had realized.
The speaker says the store's response confirmed she was not imagining it.
Nothing physically happened to her, but she says she was shaken by the experience.

Recognizing Surveillance and Following

A speaker, who says he was in Iraq and is trained in noticing surroundings, explains how to recognize surveillance, including noticing repeated appearances, checking reactions, and testing with changes of route.

Situational awareness means watching for patterns, such as the same person appearing repeatedly or a vehicle stopped for a long time.
He credits his awareness to time spent in Iraq.
Watching how someone responds to being noticed can reveal whether they are behaving suspiciously; a shocked or evasive response suggests they are up to something.
A simple test is to wave at people; those who do not wave back may be shocked to be noticed.
To confirm tailing, double back, take several right or left turns, or go somewhere the person would not expect; if they follow, they are likely tailing you.
Changing your patterns and gathering evidence helps distinguish a real threat from a person who is simply in the wrong place.

Documenting and Verifying Suspicion

The speaker advises documenting suspicious people with photos or video, providing clear descriptions to police, and considering the possibility that a person may be innocent, such as a single parent shopping for a child.

Cameras are helpful, and the best way to identify someone is with a picture.
You can photograph the person openly to let them know you see them, or take a selfie with them in the background.
A good description is essential, and police will ask for details such as what the person looked like or whether there is a picture.
Visual evidence is important when reporting a suspicious person or incident.
Be sure someone is actually behaving suspiciously before reacting, because some people who look out of place, such as single fathers or dads shopping for children, are innocent.
The speaker shares a story about being a young man who asked an older woman for help cooking a turkey, to illustrate how people can be unfairly judged.

Traps, Tactics, and Staying Safe

The speaker warns about staged traps and suggests ways to stay safe in parking lots, public spaces, and when approached, including keeping objects between yourself and a stranger, staying in public, and avoiding isolated situations.

Criminals often work in groups of two, three, or four, sometimes using a distraction such as asking for the time or for directions.
Before walking into a parking lot, look at the whole lot and note suspicious cars, people, or vans.
A friend who was a former airborne ranger was robbed at gunpoint by people in a van after leaving an academy.
Avoid walking through alleys and dark spots, and take out headphones in risky situations.
Keep your phone down and focus on your surroundings.
Have someone escort you to your car, or call an officer if needed.
Items such as a $20 bill on the ground, a random apple on a car hood, or a note on a windshield could be traps.
If someone approaches you, tell them to stay back, keep an object between you and them, and keep walking around it.
If you must resist, it is better to fight in a public place with cameras and people nearby than in a car, where there is no escape.
Share your location, such as through GPS, with a spouse or partner.

Closing Advice

The speaker closes by urging viewers to stay alert, understand dangerous areas, choose their own ground, and remain aware in any setting, including stores, travel, and the office-to-car commute.

The speaker says rising danger and budget issues mean such situations will continue.
Recognize risky zones and plan to walk around them when needed.
The advice applies at Walmart, when traveling abroad, or on a walk from the office to the car.
The speaker says the woman won the situation by being aware, knowing available resources, and using them.
Being in public and in front of cameras helps you control the situation if a confrontation happens.