Witness: Shooting outside Gastonia mall happened in matter of seconds

GASTONIA, N.C. — A person was shot Thursday afternoon in the parking lot of Eastridge Mall in Gastonia, police said.

A witness, who did not want to be identified, told Channel 9 the shooting happened in a matter of seconds.

[IMAGES: Shooting outside Gastonia Belk]

“As soon as I got out of the car, the shot went off,” she said. "I think, 'Oh my God, I could have been shot. I was so close and I just thank God that I wasn't."

The witness said she and another shopper were close to where a man was shot on the Belk side of the mall, off North New Hope Road.

"There was a gentleman behind me,” the witness said. “He was ducking down between the cars. One single shot and they were gone."

Pictures from Chopper 9 Skyzoom showed crime scene tape up and several police cars and officers gathered around the parking lot.

The victim was taken to CaroMont Regional Medical Center but his condition was not released.

Gastonia police said the shooting was not a random act, but have not said why someone opened fire.

"I've been coming to this mall for years and I never experienced nothing like this,” shopper Jerry Seigle said.

Amy Higginbotham, who was meeting her son to pick up his tuxedo for prom, was relieved no one else was injured.

"Of course it's constant fear, but it's going on all over the United States and you can't just let it paralyze our lives,” she said.

Cox Media Group