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Target shoppers surprised by deer Tuesday

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A family trip to the Wesley Chapel Target took a wild turn on Tuesday.

The Griffiths needed turkey for Thanksgiving, so they went to Target and bought some. They were walking out when a deer ran in.

The mother, Janelle Griffith, said she "saw fur and antlers."

She said the deer made it through the first set of automatic doors but slammed into the second set.

She said, "It smashed against them like three times."

Target has surveillence video but won't show it for security reasons. So store manager Jordan Garrison took a look and walked WSOC through it. She said, "It was pretty crazy. I mean, you could hear the impact of the deer throughout the whole entire store."

Confused and scared, the deer whipped around to get free. Its antlers tore Griffith's husband's pants, scratched his leg, and rubbed against their first-grade son Mattox. Mattox said, "I never saw a deer before in my whole life."

And in the split second this was all happening, her husband grabbed their children, pulling them out of the way. That's what really stuck in Garrison's mind. She said it was "really cool seeing the guy step in the way of the deer so the deer wouldn't hit his children."

Griffith said, "It's crazy. Just so much that could have gone wrong with it."

Target didn't want her husband going home with ripped pants. So the store gave him a free pair to wear.