Police Chief
Schmaderer said no wounded people were found, and police had searched through the store “because there were some people hiding in there.”
The 62-year-old grandmother was near the store’s entrance picking out Valentine’s Day gifts for her family when she heard a banging sound. She thought something had fallen, then saw a mass of people running for the exit.
A shopper told her there was an active shooter, and she fled. She heard at least one more shot in the store and a few more when she was outside.
Mahannah was so rattled she initially couldn’t find her car and jumped into a vehicle with a stranger.
“The moments in that parking lot were terrifying when I heard the shots and thought, ‘Where do I hide? I don’t know what to do.’” she said.
The police chief said there were several 911 calls shortly before noon and officers were at the store within minutes.
“The first arriving officers went into the building, confronted the suspect and shot him dead,” Schmaderer said, speaking at news conference about an hour after the shooting. “He had an AR-15 rifle with him and plenty of ammunition.”
Among those employees were two 21-year-olds,
Murphy was in the restroom when she heard the shots. She texted family and friends, telling them that she loved them, and climbed onto a toilet so her feet wouldn't show at the bottom of the stall in case the shooter came in.
Relief washed over her when police entered the restroom. A child next to her was crying.
“I was scared that this is how I might die at work," Murphy said. “It was just terrifying.”
Jacobsen was filling a personal shopping order. He’d never heard a gunshot before and was uncertain at first what he was hearing.
“Then my coworker ran by and she said, ‘He’s got a gun, get out!’” Jacobsen said. “I was like, ‘Oh this is real. I have to get out, I have to get out, I have to get out.’”
Lt.
“We’ve learned a lot from other jurisdictions, other areas, other cities that have unfortunately experienced this,” he said. “We enter right away. We’re trained to do so. Whether it’s one officer or 10, we go inside and neutralize the threat.”
The shooting came just over 15 years after the deadly
Republican state Sen.
Jacobsen, the store employee, said he's among those who want stricter, not looser, gun laws.
“As someone who grew up here, I always hear about this part of
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission., source