Shots fired at a New Mexico mall, no injuries reported
ALBERQUERQUE, N.M. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Albuquerque police officers responded to reports of at least one shot fired at Coronado Mall Friday afternoon.
Officers quickly determined there was not an active shooter, and there did not appear to be any injuries.
Video captured showed the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) responding to multiple calls of a shot fired at Coronado Mall just before 4:00pm on Friday.
"We were in the salon, in the break room, and all of the sudden you just see everyone...They said, 'Go out the side door, right over here.' Then, when we walked out, it was like a tidal wave of people," said Tiffany McQueary, a mall employee.
Jill Deniston, another mall employee, chimed in saying, "Just like, full blown sprinting. A bunch of them. It was like water."
Mad dash
Without any time to get their belongings, it was a mad dash to get out.
"It's like, everything got real quiet and real, like where you just don't what's going to happen next...So you're like...you just hold on to the person that's closest to you," McQueary further explained.
"You're running for your life," said Jill Deniston, another mall employee.
APD says one shot was fired and officers were on scene within minutes.
"We understand that a Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) off-duty lieutenant saw what was happening and had a foot pursuit of the offender, chased him out of the mall area," said Gilbert Gallegos, Public Information Officer for APD.
No injuries reported
No one was injured and police were able to recover at least one shell casing from the scene near Boba Tea.
After searching the Coronado Center multiple times, officials decided to close the mall for the night.
"It was terrifying," Deniston expressed while adding that she was relieved to be alive.
"I'm relieved [as well]...We got all of our people. We did a little head count and we've been keeping in contact with everyone but, yeah. It kinda makes you real scared to go shopping, you know, on big days like this because I thought maybe it was a planned thing because, of course, they plan it on Black Friday."
Tiffany McQueary, mall employee
APD says while the suspect got away, they released photos of the suspect.
"At this point, everybody's safe at the mall. Everyone's safe in the surrounding area. We don't believe there's any kind of threat to the public," Gallegos remarked.
