Witnesses Describe Lockdown After Deadly Shooting Outside Woodland Hills Mall

The day after it happened, most people say they feel safe coming back, while a few need some time away from the mall.

Wednesday, December 27th 2023, 6:49 pm

By: News On 6


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Some mallgoers in Tulsa say they are shaken up after a deadly shooting just outside Woodland Hills Mall prompted a lockdown on Tuesday.

What happened at Woodland Hills scared a lot of people who were there.

The day after it happened, most people say they feel safe coming back, while a few need some time away from the mall.

When a fight inside Woodland Hills Mall turned into a deadly shooting outside the north entrance on Tuesday, people started running and screaming.

Security video from Magnolia Soap and Bath shows Nohemi Avelar-Sanchez locking herself, her sister, and a customer inside.

"The first thing that came to mind was help this customer and keep all of us safe, so we went toward the back, the back of our store, and we hid in the restroom, and it was a waiting game after that," she said.

Avelar-Sanchez says it was eye-opening.

"I don't feel as if I have to worry every single day at work here at the mall, but I feel like there still needs to be some changes in the way we communicate to all the stores,” said Avelar-Sanchez.

Shoppers like Maria Chico say they're not ready to go back.

"That event just really shook me up, and now I'm experiencing flare-ups and not feeling good this morning,” Chico said.

Chico was hiding in the back storage area of a store in the mall.

Chico said even when law enforcement got there, people were still scared and confused.

"Even though it was announced it was safe to come out, it still didn't feel safe because you're in the middle of a parking lot, and you're still trying to find your vehicle, and you don't have any information on the suspect, where did they go?" she said.

While police are looking for the shooter, a mall spokesperson gave us a statement, in part saying, "...while Tulsa Police also indicated there is no ongoing threat, there will be a heightened law enforcement presence at the property.”

News On 6 did see a few security vehicles around the mall on Wednesday, and it looked just as crowded as it was on Tuesday.

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