AUGUSTA (WJBF) – The Augusta Mall was closed Sunday after shots were fired inside.
According to Richmond County Dispatch, they responded to calls of shots fired in the Dillard’s at the Augusta Mall at 1:43 Sunday afternoon.
Responding Deputies were told that the suspect had fled, and that the victim had left before police arrived. The victim reportedly drove themselves to a local hospital for treatment.
The Augusta Mall will remain closed Sunday, and reopen Monday for normal business hours.
Investigators are asking for the public’s help in identifying the two people pictured below. They are now wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting incident. If you have any information, you’re asked to contact Richmond Count Investigators at 706-821-1080
We spoke with one witness who was in the food court at the time of the incident and told us everyone went running when they heard the gunfire. While others we spoke with say they were stuck inside stores with no information on what happened.
“All of a sudden, we heard it – it just sounded like somebody was popping a bag,” according to witness Kristina Maldonado. “You know, just like a pop, pop, pop sound. And, all of sudden, you could just see tons of people come running down towards us. And we started freaking out, you know, looking, going, ‘What’s going on?’ and you could see just people running. And then you hear somebody screaming, ‘There’s been a shooting!’ You know, ‘Somebody’s shooting!’ And people were just rushing out that food court.”
Maldonado added that her experiences at the mall Sunday were more like a scene out of a movie, with people panicking and running toward the nearest escape.
Other described the fear they experienced after being stuck in stores that were locked down as a result of the shooting. Mall patron Beau Martin was one of those who had to hide inside a store Sunday after the shooting and waiting for the all-clear to be given, knowing little of what was happening outside.
“So, she’s like, ‘Alright, protocol is everybody goes into the back room, nobody can leave, everybody goes into the back room,’” said Martin. “So, we’re back there. All of us are, like, trembling, trying to figure out what’s going on and it was just – oh my God – it was traumatizing, seriously. When you have to worry about, like, leaving your house, and you don’t feel safe in public anymore, what has this world come to?”
Brookfield Properties, which manages the Augusta Mall released a statement Monday saying, “This was an unfortune incident and we are grateful for PD and our security partners for swiftly handling the situation. Dillard’s operates independently and has their own security and operations, so we aren’t able to comment on this incident.”
Dillard’s released the following statement:
The safety and security of our customers and associates is of utmost importance at Dillard’s. We understand this was an isolated event among the parties involved, and we are truly thankful nobody else was harmed. We are fully cooperating with authorities on the matter and referring any further questions to them.