Shoppers and Workers Recall Fear During Lockdown After Fatal Shooting at Woodland Hills Mall

Some people who were inside Tulsa's Woodland Hills Mall during a deadly shooting on Tuesday say the experience left them rattled. The incident, which happened just outside the building, led to a lockdown and frightened many who were there.

By Wednesday, the day after, most visitors said they felt comfortable coming back to the mall. A few said they needed more time away.

The violence began as a fight inside the mall that later turned into a shooting outside the north entrance. As it unfolded, people ran and screamed.

Security video from Magnolia Soap and Bath shows employee Nohemi Avelar-Sanchez locking the door with her sister and a customer inside the store. "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 described the episode as eye-opening. She said she does not worry every day while working at the mall, but believes communication with the stores needs to improve. "I feel like there still needs to be some changes in the way we communicate to all the stores," she said.

Shopper Maria Chico said she is not ready to return. She spent the lockdown hiding in the back storage area of a store. "That event just really shook me up, and now I'm experiencing flare-ups and not feeling good this morning," Chico said.

Chico said fear and confusion lingered even after law enforcement arrived. Hearing that it was safe to come out did not bring much comfort, she explained, because people still had to cross a parking lot to find their vehicles with no information about the suspect or where the person had gone.

Police are still searching for the shooter. A mall spokesperson issued a statement noting that Tulsa Police had indicated there is no ongoing threat, and that a heightened law enforcement presence would remain at the property.

News On 6 saw a few security vehicles around the mall on Wednesday. The property appeared just as crowded as it had been on Tuesday.