Red Castle Games Photo
On April 2, a man crashed his car into the Red Castle Games store in Portland, OR after attempting to elude a pursing officer. Myles J. Nees, 37, pleaded not guilty to charges that included "attempting to elude police, driving while suspended, driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving, failure to perform the duties of a driver, reckless endangering and second-degree criminal mischief" according to The Oregonian. Thankfully, no one in the store was injured. The store displayed a good sense of humor, and hosted a "Crash Bash" fundraiser on April 12, which featured a concert by a local band, a raffle and a "smash and dent" sale.
On March 28, Hero Support comic and game store in Washougal, WA suffered $5,000 in damage after a discarded cigarette butt started a fire, the Camas-Washougal Post-Record reported. The store’s front porch was destroyed, and a firefighter had to break into a wall to contain the fire. There was also smoke and soot damage on the interior of the building. Since most of the damage was external, the business did not need to close. The owners’ daughter created a GoFundMe account to raise donations to help pay for repair expenses.
On Sunday March 29, at 2 a.m., a car crashed into the Mile High Comics Jason Street Mega-Store in Denver, CO, killing 17-year-old driver Karen Lopez, according to the local Fox 31 report. Mile High Comics employees erected a memorial on the spot, and hosted a benefit auction on April 11 to raise money for the girl’s funeral expenses. "Thanks to the generosity of our donors, and also those who bid in the auction, we were able to raise $5,032 for Karen's funeral expenses," said a statement on the store’s website. "Her family was exceedingly grateful, and asked me to thank everyone who helped in any way."