Year After Fatal Stampede, Calm at New York's Walmarts

Crowd control at all of Walmart's New York stores appeared to go smoothly on Black Friday, a year after a security guard was crushed to death during a stampede of shoppers, authorities said.

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a statement Friday that her office was unaware of any injuries or property damage at Walmart's 92 New York stores.

The DA's office also said it appeared Walmart's crowd control measures "improved significantly since last year."

But it said Walmart's overall compliance with the district attorney's crowd control requirements will undergo a months long review.

In a statement, Walmart said it was getting positive feedback from its customers and associates across the country.

Things did not seem so rosy, however, in California. Police say a Wal-Mart store in Southern California closed its doors for several hours before dawn after some Black Friday shoppers began fighting over bargain merchandise.

Lt. Jim Etchason says officers in Upland, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, were called to the store at about 2:44 a.m. and helped herd customers into the parking lot.

The store began allowing groups of customers back inside shortly before 6 a.m. Etchason says by that time, everybody was getting along. He says there were no injuries and no arrests.