By Pat Tomlinson Man’s alleged mayhem sends mall bystanders scrambling
NORWALK — Bystanders scrambled for hiding spots as moments of uncertainty unfolded Monday night during one man’s alleged destructive rage through Bloomingdale’s at The SoNo Collection.
“There’s multiple people calling, they are hiding in different places in the store because they don’t know what’s going on,” a Norwalk police dispatcher can be heard telling responding officers in a recording of the radio transmissions around 7 p.m. Monday.
Jason Gilbertie, 42, caused the frenzy as he ran amok through the high-end department store, tearing down holiday displays and smashing any products in his path, according to Lt. Jared Zwickler, a spokesman for the
Norwalk Police Department.
The panic caused by the loud outburst triggered a police response, and many bystanders believing the sounds of the crashing items were gunshots.
“Units responding to the mall, now we’re getting multiple calls about possible shots fired within the mall,” the dispatcher told officers.
After the incident, one woman caused more of a stir when she posted on social media.
“I was told there was a SHOOTING in Bloomingdale’s. My daughter and grandchildren were there,” the woman wrote Monday night on the Norwalk CT Community page, a private Facebook group.
While the woman later recanted the shooting theory, she
claimed the man responsible for the incident pulled out a gun — a rumor that police also said was not true. Other inaccurate rumors spread online included that the incident was caused by a fight — a theory initially circulated by Norwalk police — and that it involved an argument between a father and son.
When other Facebook users asked the woman to edit her post because it was spreading “misinformation,” she replied: “I didn’t create the panic, the employees in the mall did. Their managers are giving out wrong information.”
Zwickler said police received several 911 calls in which people claimed to have heard gunshots at the mall, but there was no evidence of a gun being involved.
He said the rumor could likely be traced to the loud crashes from falling displays.
“People could have thought they were gunshots,” Zwickler said Tuesday.
Zwickler said the incident began around 6:50 p.m. Monday when Gilbertie lit a cigarette inside of the department store. When Gilbertie caught someone eyeing him, he punched the stranger in the face, Zwickler said.
After assaulting the shopper, Gilbertie trashed the store’s cosmetic department, Zwickler said.
Gilbertie punched one security guard in the face and threw items at another who tried to pepper spray him, Zwickler said.
Within four minutes of the first 911 call, police used a Taser to subdue Gilbertie and take him into custody, Zwickler said.
Employees and customers were cleared out of the store following the outburst.
A video posted on Facebook showed display cases and racks toppled over in the cosmetics department.
On Tuesday morning, the first floor of the store remained closed as employees wearing blue latex gloves cleaned the remaining debris. The entire store reopened Tuesday afternoon.
Police said store officials are still taking an inventory of what was damaged or destroyed during the incident.
Hearst Connecticut Media’s requests to take photos inside the mall and in Bloomingdale’s were denied.
Sebastian Masmela, a spokesman for Bloomingdale’s, said the store was open as of around noon Tuesday, but he declined to comment about the incident.
“It is our policy not to comment to subjects related to litigation,” he said.
Lindsay Kahn, a spokeswoman for Brookfield Properties, which owns The SoNo Collection, said the company does not disclose information related to security.
“While we are an inclusive environment, we do not allow disruptive or dangerous behavior,” Kahn said.
Gilbertie, a felon convicted of possession of a dangerous weapon, first-degree threatening and public indecency, was transported to Norwalk Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation after his arrest.
He is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Norwalk on Jan. 23 on two counts of thirddegree assault, first-degree criminal mischief, interfering with an officer and breach of peace.