JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Holiday shoppers and mall employees had a scary start to their day at The Avenues Mall on Jacksonville's Southside. The mall was closed and evacuated due to a large police presence.
Employees said they started the work day only to be told by security that they had to leave for their safety and described the experience as incredibly scary.
“Security told us that there was an active shooter and that we needed to go on lockdown,” said Lissette Molina, who works at a store in the mall.
“I saw three police running downstairs and they told people to leave,” said Christinia Alexandra, who works at the mall, “I was told there was someone with a gun in the mall.”
By 1 p.m. it began to look like a typical day at the mall, but the morning was anything but typical for many people who work at the mall.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said there was nothing to indicate an active shooter in the mall, but another store owner who did not want to go on camera said mall security officers at the mall told her employees to evacuate because of an active shooter in the mall.
Most of the stores in the mall were re-opened after people were allowed back inside, but employees who spoke to First Coast News say that what they were told initially by security did not line up with what police said later in the day
“They need to do better in letting everyone be more aware of the situation,” said Molina.
“If something was to happen in the moment there’s nobody doing anything, there’s not enough protection for us to know what to do next either,” said Alexandra, who believes safety should be a bigger priority at the mall.
Some stores remained closed for the day because workers were sent home following Wednesday morning’s incident.
First Coast News reached out to The Avenues Mall for a comment regarding Wednesday morning’s lockdown and was provided with the following statement:
These incidents are highly unusual for our center. We are grateful for the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Department’s swift response and confirmation there was no threat to the public in either incident. Out of an abundance of caution, additional security will be deployed at the center. While we are unable to provide confidential information about our security protocols, please know that every decision we make is with the safety and security of our shoppers, retailers and employees top of mind. Please refer all additional inquiries to the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Department.