CHESAPEAKE, Va. — With less than two weeks until Christmas, families are still buying gifts at Greenbrier Mall. But shoppers say they’re on edge.
That's after a string of shootings in Hampton Roads, including the mass shooting at the Greenbrier Walmart, and more recently, gunfire in the parking lot of Greenbrier Mall.
That happened around 8 p.m. Saturday.
Police say no one was hurt, but the person who shot the gun is still at large.
Marnie Phaneuf was there that night, and said she saw people running for the exit.
“I saw about 25 people running really fast and they said 'run, run' and they were screaming 'run.' So that’s what we did: we ran,” Phaneuf said.
“We just went down the back hallway, ran up the stairs, and ran out as fast as we could. Then we had to wait a couple hours before we could get in because they were looking for the shooter in the mall.”
Other shoppers said the local crime is making them nervous.
“I’ve been hesitant about coming out today, but I've got to get it done,” Clarence Chandler said. “I think it's very sad that we have to be on alert. It shouldn't be that way.”
Another shopper, Reggie Scott was also inside the mall on Saturday night. He said he remembers a mall worker announcing on the intercom that there was a possible shooter outside.
“To hear something like this happen again, that’s the scary part, to try and stay safe when you’re just doing some Christmas shopping," he said. “Me and my mom were getting ready to leave, literally getting ready to walk out of the mall entrance, and the associates pulled us over saying, ‘Hey can you all go downstairs because there’s word of an active shooter.’”
A Chesapeake Police Department spokesperson said officers know people are still on edge after the Walmart shooting.
Police officers said there are things you can do to stay safe this holiday: always be aware of your surroundings and the people around you, and know where the exits are.
The holidays are also a popular time for theft. Police recommend parking in well-lit areas, and ask that you don't leave anything valuable in your car.