Jeremy and I went to this mall for the first time today. Every weekend we tell each other that we need to get out and do something and experience the new area we live in. The mall seemed like a good place to go. Do some shopping, each some junk food, go see Dr. Strange finally. When we arrived at the mall at around 1:30 we decided to start in Dick's Sporting Goods. We almost immediately went to the upper level of the store. Very quickly we found we were disinterested in anything in that store so we left it. Our next stop, and what turned out to be the only other store we would really be in was the Payless Shoe Store. I was joking around with Jeremy about trying on boots when we heard people rushing past the store. We saw people running and heard shouts of "he has a gun."
About half the people looked scared but mostly people just looked confused. Jeremy and I followed the crowd into the Macy's where mostly people were standing around confused about what to do next. Finally we heard more shouting. One of the Macy's employees was yelling for everyone to exit the building, "customers and employees, everyone exit the mall NOW." Jeremy grabbed for my arm and we just ran. We had no idea where we were exactly going or where people were running from in the first place. It was so surreal, seemed so unreal. We just ran.
When we got out into the Macy's parking lot it was chaos. People were running to their cars, trying to drive off and get away from the mall. Of course there was a traffic jam almost immediately. It was only a matter of seconds before we were surrounded by the sound of sirens. Jeremy and I were completely turned around but we just knew that we wanted to get tot the car. We knew there was no way were leaving any time soon but we just wanted to be in our car. Luckily despite the obvious fear everyone was feeling in this situation everyone we came across was polite and helpful. One woman even let us follow her as she navigated the parking lot, as we were so turned around we had no idea where we were in relation to our vehicle.
While we walked we came across a few people that we stopped and talked to. Tried to get some information. We learned from one man who worked at the Dave and Buster's that there was more than one shooter. And that he was seen with a gun only a store or two down from where Jeremy and I were. Near the Dick's Sporting Goods. Another man told us he had even seen us as we were leaving Dick's. I recognized him and his son as well, we stayed and talked to him for a few minutes. His son was crying and shivering. I offered him my spare sweatshirt but he was so scared he could only look up at his dad and repeat that he wanted to leave, that he never wanted to come back there. He couldn't have been any older than 8. There were so many kids running with their parents, crying as they tried to find their car. Those poor confused children. They should not have had to experience this today.
Finally Jeremy and I could see our car. We offered to let the boy and his dad sit in the car with us but the boy was too scared to move, so the dad thanked us and we left for our car. I immediately called my dad when I was in the car and felt safe. Jeremy called his mom and dad and then we waited. Unfortunately it was only minutes after getting into the car when we saw police running in our direction. Only a cars distance from us we saw police with guns drawn approach a vehicle and make a man exit the car, place his hands behind his head and, walk backwards toward the officers. One office was yelling at people to back away. Jeremy and I had to leave our car and ran with many others to another part of the parking lot. You might see a video online of Jeremy and I as people were all over the place with their phones out recording what was happening. Jeremy and I were too concerned with not getting shot to have our phones out at this time.
Things again started to calm down. Jeremy and I were with a group of people by the mall building just waiting for anyone to tell us what was happening. The calm didn't last long as another officer ran along the building yelling at people to move out further into the parking lot. There was another shooter. We had at least one on either side of us now.
People were panicked but there was nothing more we could do than wait. It was cold, and I still feel so cold as I'm writing this. We are safe. We kept repeating it to each other. Cops were everywhere, we could hear more sirens coming. Probably 30 minutes passed where all we could do was wait in the cold. Slowly we started walking in the direction of our car again. Nothing had happened for a while, no police were telling us to stay away or in any one spot anymore. When we could see the car again we still saw police almost right next to it, with the cop car parked close by with one of the shooters in the backseat. But people were walking around there too, it seemed it was at least safe enough that we could get into our car again. When we noticed other people starting to drive away we took our chance and drove off ourselves. But not before I finally took my phone out and took a picture for myself. So I could remember just how close I was to an active shooter today. Something I am going to repeat again and again, I never thought I would be witness to. I think I am really going to like online shopping from now on.
