Gooner subculture fuels a wave of assaults at Dollar Tree stores

A Guardian investigation documents a rising pattern of “gooners”—men who masturbate in public and ejaculate on shoppers—targeting Dollar Tree stores, driven by an online subculture that shares videos for attention. The piece tracks MR’s 2023 Houston incident and dozens of similar cases across the U.S., notes safety failures and understaffing at Dollar Tree, and outlines lawsuits claiming negligence. Criminologists link the behavior to misogyny and online validation dynamics in the manosphere, arguing retailers need stronger security and accountability.