Board Game Barrister customer among 8 hurt in Mayfair shooting

WAUWATOSA, Wis. - As police searched for the person who shot and wounded eight people at Mayfair Mall on Friday, Nov. 20, the president of Board Game Barrister spoke out, telling FOX6 News one of his customers was among those hurt in the gunfire. Police on Saturday revealed no further details regarding the description of the perpetrator, aside from the description released Friday -- a white man in his 20s or 30s.

Police asked that any witnesses give them a call, as the mall remained closed on Saturday.

Talking about board games and bringing people joy is normally the focus of Gordon Lugauer's workday. 

"We're doing our best so that we can spread that goodness out throughout the entire season," he said.

Lugauer is the president of Board Game Barrister. He was working at his location inside Mayfair Mall Friday when the store's joy was shattered by gunfire.

"We hear the gunshots," said Lugauer. "Everybody goes to the ground. I come out of the office. I open the back door so that everyone can get out. I realize that one of my employees isn't there, so I go back in to get him and he's helping a customer that had been shot in the leg."

That customer was one of eight people injured in the shooting, something Lugauer was still processing a day later.

"Great sadness -- that's how I feel," he said. "I feel great sadness. I walked into the store today, and it hurts." 

Lugauer spent his Saturday cleaning up, hopeful the mall re-opens soon. He estimated he's already lost between $12,000 and $14,000. 

"Yeah, it matters," said Lugauer. "It is significant."

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android

But more than the money, he said he's worried about the inability to spread joy at a time when the community needs it. 

"You go to the mall to try and have that little bit of connection and enjoyment, and when that gets corrupted by this terrible act, we all need to rise up and do our best to just acknowledge it, and then move on and do what we can to get better," said Lugauer.

Board Game Barrister is right next to Macy's.

A Macy's spokeswoman issued this statement to FOX6 News on Saturday:

"We are saddened by last night’s incident at Macy’s Mayfair Mall, and the safety of Macy’s customers and employees is our always top priority.  We are thinking of the customers and workers impacted, and are working closely with the Wauwatosa Police Department and local officials. Per our policy, we defer all comments about this ongoing investigation to local authorities."

Police did not release any new details about the extent of the injuries Saturday but did say they believe the shooting was the result of an altercation and not a random act.