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'We were terrified': Customers, employees recall moments during shots fired at Polaris Fashion Place

Customers and employees at Polaris Fashion Place sheltered in place after shots were fired at the mall.

Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus was locked down Wednesday afternoon after shots were fired.

As police searched for two suspects and collected bullet casings, employees and shoppers were sheltering in place. For some, it was close to three hours.

Magally Schmidt says she was inside Claire’s when the gunfire and panic ensued.

RELATED: Police: Polaris Fashion Place cleared after shots fired; suspects identified

“I was at peace, I knew I was going to be okay,” said Schmidt. “Everything was already shut down, the lights were off. They did a really good job getting the customers into the backroom.”

Her husband, Bill, was anxiously waiting for her to come outside.

“My wife was hiding in Claire’s, my wife was consoling the people in the store,” said Bill Schmidt. “She’s okay, she’s the love of my life.”

A store manager at Pandora tells 10TV she told a shopper to get inside.

“We grabbed her and she got locked in Pandora with us,” said Peggy Rochon. “The mall did a great job notifying us right away.”

As people were running away from the gunshots, Spencer Luchsinger, an employee at SmartFix, said he heard people yelling and didn’t have time to close the store down.

“Then there were people like me that had no idea what was going on, then we just heard everyone yelling get out,” said Luchsinger. “I just grabbed everything that was expensive and went out the door.”

For another woman, it was her first day on the job at the mall.

“We were terrified, locking everything up making sure everything was secure,” said Kiersten Evans. “Every time we heard a sound, we hid as best as we could.”

Her father met her at the scene when she was released.

“Elated that law enforcement was able to get everything under control,” said Scott Evans. “I need to get her home.”

Polaris Fashion Place has since been cleared.

Columbus police say the incident started as a domestic dispute between two people. Two suspects have been identified, but are not in custody.

If you have any information on the shooting, police are asking you to call them at 614-645-4545.

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