Jewelry store worker shoots two men at Lakes mall, police say
Pembroke Lakes Mall saw a swarm of police officers after shots rang out Friday afternoon, while a police chopper hovered overhead and at least 10 police cruisers surrounded the area as residents were told to stay away.
Around 2:14 p.m., Pembroke
Pines police responded to calls of a shooting near the Dillard’s department store, 11945 Pines Blvd., in the mall. When officers arrived they found two men with gunshot wounds.
An initial police investigation found that the two men had gone into Elite Fine Jewelry, said Pembroke Pines police Capt. Eric Abrahamson. While inside, one of the men smashed glass cases while the other stole jewelry.
During the robbery, a store employee pulled out a gun and began shooting at the men, hitting both of them. Police did not say what their injuries were or what condition they were in.
Officers detained the men and had them taken to a local hospital. Police did not identify the two men nor the store employee.
From behind the register at Shoe Show inside the mall, Hannah Francis heard the loud banging of four shots, and then saw shoppers running inside her store. She ran to the back of the store and tried to get everyone out.
While she didn’t see any shooters, she said she did see a man put on a gurney, looking like he was passed out.
“It is honestly traumatizing,” she said. “Even though you didn’t see anything, just hearing it and knowing that somebody got hurt … is just scary because you never expect that to happen.”