Aventura Mall Packed On Mother's Day Just One Day After Shooting
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – What started as an argument between two groups of people, ended in gunfire at Aventura Mall on Saturday. But just a day later on Mother's Day, the mall was once again packed.
"I heard the gunshots so it was my time to leave," said Jay Alvin.
The main shooter is still on the loose. The incident sent five people to the hospital.
And yet, the mall was busy the very next day – a holiday no less.
Alvin said he's not afraid and feels safe.
"I mean, yeah, I do feel safe," he said. "It was fine inside."
However, some stores remained closed, such as Hugo Boss and Nordstrom, as police continue to investigate.
Aventura police said the altercation happened in front of Hugo Boss, where two groups started fighting. One person showed a weapon and another used it, which is when three people were shot.
A total of five were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
People inside the mall at the time told CBS4 they were scared.
"It was like three, four, five shots. Very scary. Very, very scary," said Claudia. "We were just very scared of course, especially when you don't know what happened."
The mall went on lockdown for hours as multiple units searched for the main gunman.
One man, who did not want to appear on camera, was hidden in a store.
"You heard the noise and then all of the sudden the staff of the store just shut their gates and locked the door," he recalled. "And they kept letting us know it would take some time."
He felt lucky to just be alive.
"We are grateful to be alive. Glad our kids were not here," he said.