My head is still ringing from the gunshots. I've never seen anything like this before even though I've worked in malls all my life, and in some pretty sketchy areas. Very sketchy.
Update: Fatality.
The Southcenter mall is newly renovated and has a ton of great new shops. My SO and I are sans children this weekend so we thought we'd go to the mall and do some preliminary Christmas shopping.
Long story short, we were upstairs when we heard the shots. The mall was packed with people, and when the first shot went off, my Memphis upbringing told me immediately the noise was too loud to be anything else but shots. Everyone is looking around as if they're all thinking, "WTF was that?" Then shots two and three go off, and there's no question.
It was so loud. All I could think of is my SO. My first instinct was to hit the ground, but everyone was running. Crouching, we ran into the closest store. Everyone is scattering, the mall halls emptying rapidly. In a corner of the store I am clutching my SO, trying not to lose it. I am not worried about myself at all, just him.
We leave the store against my better wisdom, but everyone on the top level is looking over the side of the glass rail to see the guys downstairs. One young man is down, he's pissed himself and seems to be unconscious. I hate that everyone is leering at him. I try to pull my SO away, I have no evidence there has been an apprehension.
The mall emptied; everyone is leaving at once. Dozens of cop cars show up, ambulances.
No one on the news seems to be getting the story straight.
Now what do we do? Do we alter where we shop? Do we not go there anymore?
My ear is ringing. I don't want my mom to freak out when she finds out we were there.
It was just a day at the mall. And someone had to whip out a gun.