Westroads Mall
Yes, I live in Omaha. I read the other day that we are what some would call a big small town, roughly 428,000. Sure, people have heard of us, but really don't have an opinion about us one way or the other. We don't have a bad reputation, or a good reputation. We just don't have a reputation at all.
Until December 5th, 2007.
I was at work, sitting in the break room when one of the Drs I work for came in and said," So, a shooting at the Westroads Mall." I looked up at him in surprise.
"What are you talking about?"
"Some guy walked into Van Maur and started shooting. Two people are dead."
"That's terrible! Oh, my God! Those poor people!"
He stood there a moment longer, both of us contemplating what had happened, and then he said," I told my wife, its a good thing it wasn't Target, otherwise, I'd have been worried for her." I said "oh yeah, had it been there, I would have been right along side of her."
I changed the subject, we went back to our work, and every now and then, someone would update us. It was now 4 killed, 3 injured. Now it's 6 dead.
My cell phone rang. It was my mom. "Are you ok?", she said. She was crying.
"I'm fine Mom, it's ok."
"You heard about the Westroads?"
"Yes, those poor people."
"Nine people dead now. They don't know where the shooter is."
"Really? Nine now? Wow."
"I love you honey. I was just worried that you might have been out shopping over lunch..."
"No, I wasn't. I was here, I love you too, Mom. Try to calm down, everyone of us are ok."
We hang up, a little while later, my daughter calls.
"Mom?" She's crying.
"Punk, its ok. I'm fine."
"I can't believe it! I was trying not to cry at work, but I'm just now at my car. I'm just shaking so much."
"Honey, its alright. We are all ok."
"Nine people died, more injured."
"I know baby girl, its terrible."
"I'm gonna call Dan (her boyfriend). I feel like such a baby, crying like this."
Don't feel bad about it Punk, it just shows you have a heart. I love you, I'll talk to you more when I get home."
I couldn't believe how calm I was. What was wrong with me? This is terrible. People just doing there jobs! The worst thing in the world they have to worry about is a shoplifter, or maybe a cranky customer. And the customers. Just running to the store, real quick, pick something up for Christmas. Like that. They're dead! Why wasn't I crying? Why wasn't I shaking? I was just there! The night before last. On the 3rd floor of Van Maur. Shopping. The woman who rang up my purchases. I wonder if she was one of the victims.
Over the course of the next few days, every time I turned on a television, signed into my e-mail, I learned more. How the people were just stunned in the store. Imagine. We don't hear gun fire daily. Some thought it was construction, other balloons. I imagine that even when they saw people being shot and falling right in front of their eyes, they still couldn't believe it. "Oh my God! He just shot that man!" Those quick seconds that seem to go on for a eternity, before the adrenalin kicked in. How they scattered, mom's pushing stroller, dragging an older child behind them to safety, customers hiding in dressing rooms, trying to pull there feet up, hoping that they wouldn't be seen, others hiding in the circular clothing racks, praying "please, God. Don't let him come this way."
Six minutes. That's how long it took. In that time, that boy was able to change all of those lives.
Everyone tried to act as if. I went to a wrestling tournament. Grocery store. Target.
The Westroads Mall opened up yesterday. The Red Cross and the Salvation Army were there to help people and provider comfort if necessary. Van Maur did not reopen. They are taking time for there employees to recover from the shock. The store is paying for all the funerals of those involved. It might not be until next week that they re-open.
Today, I went to the Westroads Mall. I parked in the parking lot right outside the entrance of Van Maur. I walked up to the steps that were now a make shift memorial. I looked at all of the flowers, the Christmas tree, the teddy bears, the notes and cards, the paper snowflakes taped to the doors, the ornaments hanging from the stair rails. I looked at all of it.
And I cried.
Until December 5th, 2007.
I was at work, sitting in the break room when one of the Drs I work for came in and said," So, a shooting at the Westroads Mall." I looked up at him in surprise.
"What are you talking about?"
"Some guy walked into Van Maur and started shooting. Two people are dead."
"That's terrible! Oh, my God! Those poor people!"
He stood there a moment longer, both of us contemplating what had happened, and then he said," I told my wife, its a good thing it wasn't Target, otherwise, I'd have been worried for her." I said "oh yeah, had it been there, I would have been right along side of her."
I changed the subject, we went back to our work, and every now and then, someone would update us. It was now 4 killed, 3 injured. Now it's 6 dead.
My cell phone rang. It was my mom. "Are you ok?", she said. She was crying.
"I'm fine Mom, it's ok."
"You heard about the Westroads?"
"Yes, those poor people."
"Nine people dead now. They don't know where the shooter is."
"Really? Nine now? Wow."
"I love you honey. I was just worried that you might have been out shopping over lunch..."
"No, I wasn't. I was here, I love you too, Mom. Try to calm down, everyone of us are ok."
We hang up, a little while later, my daughter calls.
"Mom?" She's crying.
"Punk, its ok. I'm fine."
"I can't believe it! I was trying not to cry at work, but I'm just now at my car. I'm just shaking so much."
"Honey, its alright. We are all ok."
"Nine people died, more injured."
"I know baby girl, its terrible."
"I'm gonna call Dan (her boyfriend). I feel like such a baby, crying like this."
Don't feel bad about it Punk, it just shows you have a heart. I love you, I'll talk to you more when I get home."
I couldn't believe how calm I was. What was wrong with me? This is terrible. People just doing there jobs! The worst thing in the world they have to worry about is a shoplifter, or maybe a cranky customer. And the customers. Just running to the store, real quick, pick something up for Christmas. Like that. They're dead! Why wasn't I crying? Why wasn't I shaking? I was just there! The night before last. On the 3rd floor of Van Maur. Shopping. The woman who rang up my purchases. I wonder if she was one of the victims.
Over the course of the next few days, every time I turned on a television, signed into my e-mail, I learned more. How the people were just stunned in the store. Imagine. We don't hear gun fire daily. Some thought it was construction, other balloons. I imagine that even when they saw people being shot and falling right in front of their eyes, they still couldn't believe it. "Oh my God! He just shot that man!" Those quick seconds that seem to go on for a eternity, before the adrenalin kicked in. How they scattered, mom's pushing stroller, dragging an older child behind them to safety, customers hiding in dressing rooms, trying to pull there feet up, hoping that they wouldn't be seen, others hiding in the circular clothing racks, praying "please, God. Don't let him come this way."
Six minutes. That's how long it took. In that time, that boy was able to change all of those lives.
Everyone tried to act as if. I went to a wrestling tournament. Grocery store. Target.
The Westroads Mall opened up yesterday. The Red Cross and the Salvation Army were there to help people and provider comfort if necessary. Van Maur did not reopen. They are taking time for there employees to recover from the shock. The store is paying for all the funerals of those involved. It might not be until next week that they re-open.
Today, I went to the Westroads Mall. I parked in the parking lot right outside the entrance of Van Maur. I walked up to the steps that were now a make shift memorial. I looked at all of the flowers, the Christmas tree, the teddy bears, the notes and cards, the paper snowflakes taped to the doors, the ornaments hanging from the stair rails. I looked at all of it.
And I cried.
posted by Momcani at 4:16 PM
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