Oklahoma Woman Attacks Skechers Worker With Boxes of Shoes After Being Asked to Wear Mask

In the latest incident in a string of disturbances inspired by mask policies at private retail stores across the United States, a woman in Oklahoma could be seen hurling boxes of shoes at an employee in a fit of rage.

The shocking incident unfolded Wednesday at a Skechers shoe store in a strip mall in Oklahoma City, reports FOX25. The worker at the sneaker shop told police that the shopper entered the store without a face mask and was informed several times that she must wear one per company policy.

The employee noted that a sign prominently displayed on the front door states that those entering the store must wear a mask, but the woman continued shopping and ignored staff.

When the customer approached the cash register to buy her shoes, the exasperated employee suggested that the woman purchase a mask at a nearby Lowe’s before coming back to complete her purchase.

At that point, the woman became livid at the suggestion and launched a violent outburst in the store, assaulting the employee by throwing boxes filled with shoes at her before leaving the store.

The coworker of the woman who was assaulted in the video, Myah Joycelynn, filmed part of the incident and posted it to her Facebook profile.

“All we wanted was for her to wear a mask,” Joycelynn wrote. “I hope this lady is embarrassed of herself and her actions.”

“[T]he dumbass left her wallet at the store so we turned that into the police as well,” she added.

The young shoe store employee pressed charges, according to the post.

The video of the disturbance has since spread rapidly online. The assailant has been variously dubbed “Skechers Karen,” “Okie Karen,” and “Krusty Karen” by social media users. The name Karen has been adopted by social media users as a negative nickname for middle-aged white women who demand to speak to a store manager or throw histrionic fits in reaction to minor slights.

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The incident comes as Oklahoma continues to see massive increases in COVID-19 infections and surging hospitalizations. On Tuesday, the state saw 858 new cases.

In an attempt to stem the sharp rise in coronavirus cases, city officials in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Yukon have issued executive orders requiring some employees – including restaurant and bar employees – to wear protective masks during their shifts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have also issued official health guidance urging U.S. residents to always wear a cloth face mask in public in lieu of physical distancing measures.

Despite the advice – and numerous studies showing how face coverings are a simple way to help prevent person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 – many have angrily and sometimes violently resisted the use of masks and attacked those reminding them that the masks are mandatory in some private businesses.

The Oklahoma City video has emerged days after bizarre video footage went viral depicting an Oregon woman throwing a childish tantrum in a Costco and launching an impromptu sit-in protest after being told she must wear the face covering.