Families reunited after Mayfair Mall shooting evacuation
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - A shooting at Mayfair Mall on Friday let dozens of people stuck inside as law enforcement swept the building.
Some stayed hidden inside for hours as authorities investigated the shooting and escorted people out to safety.
About two busloads full of people were dropped off at a parking lot near Mayfair Road and Burleigh Street -- just north of the mall.
An MCTS bus filled with people left the mall around 6 p.m. -- roughly three hours after the shots-fired 911 call was received -- headed for the designated reunification area. Each bus escorted by MCTS security.
People reunited after a shooting at Mayfair Mall on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.
The space was set aside for those who were waiting on a rise or simply could not access their own vehicle in Mayfair's parking and were in need of a ride home.
Members of the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office Crisis Response Unit spent time talking with each person on board.
They waited inside the warm bus for loved ones to arrive.
People reunited after a shooting at Mayfair Mall on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.
One woman told FOX6 News that she was just getting ready to check out at Urban Outfitters when she heard the gunfire.
"We went running to the back of the store. The management there was nice – they put us in a room and locked the store up," she said. "We waited for about two-and-a-half hours before the SWAT team came and walked us out."
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Another woman even walked off the bus into a big cuddle with her dog.
Dozens of other shoppers and mall employees left the area on foot. Hugs were quite frequent as the night went on.
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Shoppers, workers describe scene of Mayfair Mall shooting
Shoppers and workers explain what they saw and heard Friday afternoon as shots rang out at Mayfair Mall.