Shots fired inside Northern Alberta mall
Posted Sep 15, 2016 7:39 pm.
Last Updated Sep 16, 2016 7:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
There are reports at least two were injured after a shooting during the dinner hour, inside a bustling northern Alberta mall.
It happened inside the food court, near the HMV at Prairie Mall in Grande Prairie.
No official word yet from RCMP about what unfolded or if they have a suspect in custody.
“The shooting happened at the HMV store and we’re at the other end of the mall, I think I heard the shot and I didn’t pay attention, I just figured busy day and whatever,” said Shameen Aghdasy who was working in the Jersey City at the time. “I was terrified. I was like, I dunno how to handle my situation here. No one was here to protect us if the shooter was in my area.”
Aghdasy said as he was trying to lock the door, he could have been easily surprised or cornered by a gunmen.
He tells 660 NEWS the shooting happened around 5 p.m., and says the evacuation order was poorly organized.
According to the sporting goods store employee, they had no idea anything was happening until someone from an adjacent store filled them in.
“We noticed the store across from us was randomly closing the doors with the customers inside, she then came over running to my store and said close your doors because there was a gun shot,” he said. “First instinct was to lock the doors, and then I thought our doors are glass so this is not beneficial.”
He told his manager and they immediately ran into the back.
“We said together if anyone smashes that door, we’re running out the side store. I found it unorganized, we had no idea what was going on. Closing the mall, you think you’d hear it over the P.A. but we never heard anything.”
Minutes seemed like hours and they waited until things appeared to calm down.
“A girl, I think she was a mall owner, came over and said no close the door, you guys need to evacuate. As soon as we walked out the door, there were cops surrounding the mall. We had no idea what was going on.”
He’s been told there were four guys acting weird and then someone heard gun shots and everyone hit the floor.
Shameen got to his car and drove home as fast as he could, he fears about having to return to work after such an ordeal.
“I was scared to be honest, thinking about having to go back to work tomorrow, there is no metal detectors, I have to think if I even want to back there,” he said.
