Malls, once bustling hubs of activity, especially on the day after Christmas, can suddenly transform into scenes of chaos and fear. This was the case at Turtle Creek Mall in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where a false alarm of an active shooter sent shoppers and employees into a panic. Here's what happened and how witnesses reacted.
Felicity Renfroe, a shopper, had planned a quick trip to Bath and Body Works, but the day took an unexpected turn. As she entered the mall, she encountered an argument across from a shoe store, a harbinger of the impending commotion. Around 3:23 p.m., according to the Hattiesburg Police Department, the atmosphere shifted from festive to fearful.
"We thought maybe somebody was stealing or they were trying to chase somebody," Renfroe said. "No, somebody said 'There's an active shooter.'"
The mall descended into chaos in seconds. Store gates slammed shut, and the air filled with uncertainty. Voletta Williams, another shopper, recounted how they managed to slip into Foot Locker just in time. "And they were saying it was an active shooter, and so we stayed in there probably about 15 to 20 minutes. In fact, we just got out."
For some, the experience was not their first encounter with such a situation. 'Jack Jack' Moons, a retail worker, shared his experience, having grown up in Mobile, Alabama, where mall incidents were not uncommon. "I'm from Mobile, Alabama. In the mall, there would always, like frequently, be stuff happening like that and all that such. So I was probably one of the first people to go to the back."
Despite the lack of evidence of a shooting, the mall was placed on lockdown as a precaution. No shell casings, victims, or witnesses reported seeing a shooting. However, some saw what appeared to be the start of an altercation before the lockdown. Emily Chancelor, a retail worker, described the scene: "I saw them antagonizing. And then I saw that group of guys that was antagonizing the others just book it. And then some people said they heard like a pop and then glass break and all this stuff. We don’t truly know."
Despite the absence of injuries and evidence of a shooting, the incident left a lasting impression on mall-goers. "Unsafe. There’s nothing to say but unsafe," Williams said. "Mall shopping is over."
As of Friday night, no arrests have been made, and the incident remains under investigation. The mall's transformation from a bustling shopping center to a place of fear and uncertainty highlights the unpredictable nature of public spaces and the importance of preparedness and vigilance.
