A Woolworths supermarket in Brisbane’s northwest was evacuated on Friday afternoon after two teenage girls allegedly caused chaos inside the store, leaving aisles covered with products and forcing police to respond to the busy shopping centre.
The incident happened at the Woolworths inside the Great Western Super Centre on Settlement Road in Keperra about 3pm. Queensland Police said officers were called following reports of a disturbance inside the supermarket.
Videos shared across social media later showed products and broken packaging scattered across several aisles while evacuation alarms sounded through the store. Shoppers could also be heard confronting the teenagers as the situation escalated.
Police confirmed two girls were arrested at the scene and later charged. A 15-year-old girl from Kedron has been charged with wilful damage, assault occasioning bodily harm and two counts of common assault. A 14-year-old girl from Goodna has been charged with wilful damage, assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of common assault.
Both teenagers were expected to appear before Brisbane Children’s Court on Saturday. As the case is before the courts and involves minors, the allegations remain unproven.
Videos from inside the store quickly spread online
The incident gained national attention after multiple videos from inside the Keperra Woolworths began circulating online on Friday evening.
In one video, two teenagers can allegedly be seen walking through the supermarket while items are spread across the floor. Several shelves appeared partially emptied, with food and grocery products scattered throughout the aisles.
An evacuation alarm could be heard blaring through the store as shoppers watched the situation unfold. One customer sarcastically yelled, “Good on you guys, well done,” while another shouted that it would be “nice seeing you guys go to jail.”
Another clip appeared to show one of the teenagers carrying a Powerade bottle while walking through the self-service checkout area. Witnesses claimed the teenager attempted to spray the contents of the bottle toward nearby shoppers after being confronted.
Additional footage later showed police officers entering the Woolworths store and chasing after the pair as shoppers stood nearby watching.
The videos spread rapidly across Facebook and other social media platforms, causing searches for “Keperra Woolworths” to spike on Google Trends overnight.
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Shopping centre evacuated during police response
Witnesses told local media the disturbance forced staff and customers to leave the supermarket while police secured the area.
Felicity Osborne, who works at nearby Keirden Dry Cleaners, told The Courier Mail that “a couple of people” were allegedly “knocking everything off” shelves inside the Woolworths store.
She said the entire shopping centre was evacuated for around 30 minutes during the incident. According to reports, Woolworths was expected to remain closed for the rest of Friday afternoon while staff dealt with the damage inside the store.
The Great Western Super Centre is one of the busiest retail locations in the Keperra area, with supermarkets, specialty retailers and regular afternoon customer traffic. A sudden evacuation during trading hours created confusion for shoppers and workers inside the complex.
Queensland Police later confirmed the teenagers had been taken into custody at the scene.
Official updates regarding the case and police response can be accessed through the Queensland Police Service.
Why the Keperra Woolworths story became a major trending topic
The Keperra Woolworths incident became one of Australia’s most searched local news stories because of the combination of viral footage, a supermarket evacuation and the involvement of teenagers.
Supermarkets are places where people expect everyday routine and safety. When customers suddenly hear evacuation alarms and see police officers running into a store, it naturally creates public attention and concern.
The speed of social media also played a major role. Within hours, clips from inside the supermarket had been reposted across Facebook pages, TikTok accounts and news outlets, pushing the story into Google Trends and national headlines.
At the same time, the incident has also renewed discussion about youth crime, public behaviour and safety inside busy retail centres. While many social media users reacted angrily to the videos, legal experts regularly caution against prejudging cases involving minors before court proceedings are completed.
Retail workers can also be heavily impacted during incidents like these. Staff are often responsible for helping evacuate customers, managing panic inside stores and dealing with the aftermath once emergency services arrive.
Woolworths has already faced major public attention this year over supermarket pricing and retail scrutiny. Readers interested in broader Woolworths-related developments can also read Swikblog’s coverage of the ACCC investigation into Woolworths grocery discount claims.
For Keperra residents, however, Friday’s incident was far more immediate. What started as a disturbance inside a suburban supermarket quickly became a viral national story after dramatic videos emerged online.
Police investigations and court proceedings are now expected to determine exactly what occurred inside the Woolworths store and whether further details will emerge in the coming days.
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