“A true historical landmark”: People are making tribute videos at the Target where a woman shoplifted for 7 hours

TikTokers are making video tributes to a woman who allegedly shoplifted at a Target for seven hours straight after footage went viral online. According to the legend, Target loss prevention confronted her when she finally attempted to leave the store and called the police, who filmed her objections to this treatment via body camera.

Stealing at Target for seven hours

According to The Independent, police detained Jimisha Avlani at the Target in Normal, Illinois, on May 1, 2025. They accused her of the attempted theft of over $1,300 worth of goods over the course of several hours.

The story went viral after the YouTube account Body Cam Edition published a compilation of the footage. As local police wrote up their report and attempted to get her to show them identification, Avlani repeatedly said she would pay for the items and insisted that loss prevention promised her she could go free.

“I’m really sorry,” she said. “I’m ready to pay for this.”

The cops then had to repeatedly explain that it was too late for apologies and legal business transactions.

It didn’t take long for social media to latch on to her words.

One TikTok video by @cops.nemo.no2 containing these viral lines gained over 44.5 million views after they posted it on July 13.

The idea of one single person attempting to steal from a single store for seven hours registered as iconic on TikTok.

TikTokers visit the site of the incident

Those lucky enough to be within driving distance of this Target location started to visit it and create tribute videos with slow piano music and Avlani’s pleading over the footage.

In her video, @taylorangelini wrote, “knowing that the target lady happened at the target I shop at makes going here 1000x funnier.”

TikToker @maafatimaa made a reenactment of the alleged stealing spree. The caption reads, “going to the exact same target that THE incident happened at.”

Meanwhile, @macymayasfuckk dubbed the Normal Target “a true historical landmark.”

“The most monumental thing since Harambe”

Commenters who shop at this Target location were just as excited to know that their shop is now famous. TikToker @0_.fay._0 wrote that the video “changed that target so much for me.”

“My only claim to fame is I went to high school right behind this target 7 years ago lol,” said @dyyyyylll.

Even those outside of Illinois got in on the hype.

“This is the most monumental thing since Harambe was killed,” joked @matthewgray100.