I survived the Tacoma Mall ‘active shooter’ that saw gunfire erupt in the food court as screaming shoppers ran for their lives

WITNESSES to a horrific Black Friday shooting at a Washington shopping mall described how panicked parents ran for their lives to hug their children when gunfire erupted in the food court.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Kobe Marsh said he was waiting for his order inside Panera Bread at Tacoma Shopping Center with her friend Leyla Elazmaoui when they heard a loud bang at 7:28pm.

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Initially unsure what the noise was, Kobe said they quickly realized they were in danger when they “heard people screaming and ran for their lives.”

“It was chaos,” he said. “It all happened so fast.

“We didn’t realize it at first. We stood there for about three to five seconds, but when we saw the line of people running, we realized it was the gunfire we heard.”

‘IT IS CONFIRMED’

Kobe said he initially heard a gunshot before a series of six or seven shots rang out. Other witnesses have claimed to have heard up to 15 people.

He said he and Leyla immediately got back into his car and drove off.

Kobe shared a video with The Sun showing the moment he stepped out of the mall’s parking lot as a sea of ​​sirens blared and flashed around him.

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“We see mothers crying, with their babies in their arms running. Others are just really confused,” he said.

“It was horrifying. Only hundreds of people spilled out of the mall.

“Fortunately, we weren’t too far from my car. I just saw the tunnel while driving.”

Kobe said he did not see who opened fire or did not know if anyone was injured in the hail of bullets, although police have since confirm that at least one person was shot and injured.

He said he believed the gunshot sounded like a “fully automatic weapon.”

“We’re a bit shaky right now,” Kobe said, adding that officers were on the scene within seconds.

“I’ve never experienced anything like it before – I just couldn’t believe it,” he continued.

Clusters in Big Women

More than 60 law enforcement officers from Tacoma, Pierce County, Lakewood, Puyallup and the Washington State Patrol are currently on the scene, scan the mall store by store.

No suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident. Police have yet to release a description of the attacker or the attackers.

The mall remains locked while the investigation continues.

Hundreds of shoppers were seen running for their lives or hiding behind desks and seeking shelter in nearby stores as many Gunfire is reported to be heard at the food court at 7:28 p.m. local time.

Sgt. Darren Moss of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said police received numerous calls about “shooter in action” situations.

Police are asking people to stay away from the mall until further notice.

Moss told the News Tribune: “With an active shooter in a large place, we would send people inside to do a coordinated search.

“We are still actively working at the scene, trying to get everyone out of the mall safely and looking for the shooter in the mall.”

DARK HISTORY

Fredrick Hoskins told the store he was shopping with his daughter in the mall when he heard gunshots.

“There was a boom, boom, boom… boom, boom, boom. Maybe like six shots,” said Hoskins, who previously served in the military. “It sounded like a revolver, and it sounded like just a shooter.”

The Tacoma Mall was the site of a 2005 mass shooting that saw gunman Dominick Maldonado use a semi-automatic rifle and pistol to injure six people and instigate the kidnappings of four. .

News of the Tacoma shooting came after a Black Friday Shooting remaining shoppers reeling in Durham, North Carolina, while shots were also fired at a Walmart store in Washington state.

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