The disturbing rise of ‘gooner’ assaults at Dollar Tree stores: ‘They find it funny to degrade women’

Key Points:

• In late 2023, a woman identified as MR was sexually assaulted at a Dollar Tree store in Houston, where a man masturbated and ejaculated on her without consent, highlighting a disturbing trend of similar assaults at Dollar Tree locations nationwide.
• These acts, referred to online as “tagging” or “sharking,” are part of a growing subculture where perpetrators record and share videos of public masturbation assaults, often targeting understaffed and poorly secured dollar stores.
• MR and other victims have filed lawsuits against Dollar Tree, accusing the company of negligence and inadequate security measures, while the retailer maintains it cooperates with law enforcement and is committed to safety.
• Researchers and sociologists link these assaults to an online misogynistic community that glorifies such behavior for attention and humiliation, reflecting broader issues of male entitlement, isolation, and the gamification of sexual abuse.
• Despite increased reports and legal actions, Dollar Tree and similar chains face criticism for prioritizing profits over customer and employee safety, with documented cases of repeated offenses and insufficient corporate response.