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Today a man drove into Ward Parkway mall and murdered two people and shot several others. Mark and I had just entered Dillards when we saw three women clustered together looking very upset, talking on cell phones and crying. We couldn't really tell what was going on, we didn't want to push ourselves into a private situation. We could hear something that sounded like "shooter" but figured we'd misheard. We'd just been outside, after all and hadn't seen anything strange.
A few minutes after we entered the furniture department a call went overhead and people were being asked to please stay in the building. Mark decided we should leave, we went to the 2nd floor, only to discover that it wasn't a request, the store had been sealed, no one could leave. I started to feel nervous, was assured by a manager that the shooter couldn't get into the building, we were surrounded by police. We went back upstairs and I found myself seeking out the exits, just in case. I also went into the ladies room and looked to see if there was a lock on the door (there wasn't.)
We were never in any danger, I believe that most of the activity occured just (and I mean seconds) before we entered the mall. And it's strange just how unconcerned I was for my own safety, especially since we knew next to nothing compared to the folks outside the mall, watching it all happen on their TVs. Perhaps it was knowing that the police were patrolling the exits? We did leave quickly once the doors were unlocked, although I first purchased a new platter. The three ladies were long gone, by the time we got to the floor where we'd see them (chairs had been brought over for them to sit in, probably for when they were being interviewed by the police.)
I tried to look over as we passed the mall, but there was a huge SVU keeping pace with us. All I could see were people milling about and police tape everywhere. Otherwise I might have seen all the glass from the shot out Starbucks and the three cars (the twp people were murdered in the cars.) I found myself holding my breath until we got clear of the mall and Mark was speeding, trying to distance us. And then we started to laugh, glad our close call wasn't any closer than it was.
A few minutes after we entered the furniture department a call went overhead and people were being asked to please stay in the building. Mark decided we should leave, we went to the 2nd floor, only to discover that it wasn't a request, the store had been sealed, no one could leave. I started to feel nervous, was assured by a manager that the shooter couldn't get into the building, we were surrounded by police. We went back upstairs and I found myself seeking out the exits, just in case. I also went into the ladies room and looked to see if there was a lock on the door (there wasn't.)
We were never in any danger, I believe that most of the activity occured just (and I mean seconds) before we entered the mall. And it's strange just how unconcerned I was for my own safety, especially since we knew next to nothing compared to the folks outside the mall, watching it all happen on their TVs. Perhaps it was knowing that the police were patrolling the exits? We did leave quickly once the doors were unlocked, although I first purchased a new platter. The three ladies were long gone, by the time we got to the floor where we'd see them (chairs had been brought over for them to sit in, probably for when they were being interviewed by the police.)
I tried to look over as we passed the mall, but there was a huge SVU keeping pace with us. All I could see were people milling about and police tape everywhere. Otherwise I might have seen all the glass from the shot out Starbucks and the three cars (the twp people were murdered in the cars.) I found myself holding my breath until we got clear of the mall and Mark was speeding, trying to distance us. And then we started to laugh, glad our close call wasn't any closer than it was.
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