I am saddened, but not surprised at the fact that someone died at one of these things. I went to a Black Friday sale with my former mother- and sister-in-law some years ago and was pretty dismayed to see how base people will become in the face of saving a few bucks. There is an air of desperation in the crowd, then it becomes like some kind of brutal competition. I saw little old ladies shoved to the side by fever-eyed shoppers running in a pack, like wolves.
Now, I am all for saving a few bucks, but the behavior and look of this particular crowd was that of starving people at a food drop. It was ridiculous. But I also see how the excitement can be infectious, especially for anyone with a natural competitive streak. I think these shopping events touch an old, evolutionary instinct...the hunter/gatherer in all of us.
Personally, I have that streak and I know that I would be susceptible to the excitement of the crowd. That event I attended years ago, I was an observer and didn't have any money to spend, anyway. But after I saw what it was about, I knew I'd better stay away if I actually had a goal in mind. I can get a little mission-focused and competitive and I recognize that it is my responsibility to keep myself away from things where I might do something that I regret. Being pretty hard on myself, I'm not sure I could forgive myself if I knocked down a weaker person just for a good deal on an item that wasn't absolutely necessary for survival.