SAN ANTONIO – The calm and quiet outside Rolling Oaks Mall Sunday night is the opposite of what people who were inside earlier in the day said they experienced during a shooting.
"At first, it sounded like something fell because there was a pause between the first shot and the rest of the shots. But from where we were standing, we hid behind a wall, you could hear the shots getting closer, almost like he (shooter) was running or something,” said Benjamin Arsate, who was inside the mall during the shooting.
Rusty Nokes said he rushed to Rolling Oaks Mall after his wife texted him “Shots fired. Please help." His daughter and one of her friends were also inside, but he said he remained level-headed.
“(I’m) remarkably peaceful and calm. Had a great church service this morning, and my wife was telling me she had a peace in that office. Yeah, it was scary, but honestly a lot of peace,” Nokes said.
Business owner Horacio Montiel said the mall is typically safe, but once he realized what was happening he sprang into action.
“Immediately, I run to the front to see what's going on. I tried to tried to put all my customers safe by using the back door. I saw everybody doing the same in the different stores,” Montiel said.
Nokes was reunited with his loved ones, who were all safe. Still, the shooting has left at least one survivor questioning his safety.
“Where do you go now? You’re not even safe in a mall,” Arsate said.
Nokes said the shooting reinforced his support for those with concealed handgun licenses. Police said a person with a concealed handgun license shot one of the alleged robbers.