CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - Officials have released the 911 calls witnesses made after a store owner pulled a gun on one of his employees at a South Florida mall before turning it on himself.
The shooting took place on Nov. 25 over the Thanksgiving weekend, when many malls at the time were packed with shoppers who were trying to take advantage of the holiday sales. The Coral Square Mall was no exception, and it was here that shots unexpectedly rang out as stores began opening their doors, around 10 a.m.
Officials released the surveillance video that was taken inside the mall at the time of the shooting. The owner of the Fast-Fix jewelry store and repair shop, Gus Kiriazis, could be seen with his employee, Sabas Ferrer, inside the store when Kiriazis aimed a gun at Ferrer, shooting him in the back room.
Kiriazis eventually shot himself and died on the scene.
Ferrer was injured from the bullet wound to his back and was transported to North Broward Health Hospital, where he is still recovering.
Witnesses who heard the gunshots inside the mall then called 911 in a panic. Police released several phone calls that were made to police:
911 dispatcher: “911, what is your emergency?”
Caller: “This is Coral Square Mall, we have an active shooter in the mall.”
911 dispatcher: “OK ma’am, where are you at? Did you hear more gunshots?”
Caller: “I’m in the Macy’s. They just run, they’re shutting the doors down.”
911 dispatcher: “I just want you to go and find a safe place and stay there.”
Caller: “OK, OK.”
Another call described the store owner’s condition after the shooting:
911 dispatcher: “911, what is your emergency?”
Caller: “There’s a gentleman, I think the owner of the store, either he get shot or he shot himself. The guy is bleeding heavy.”
According to some employees inside the mall, Kiriazis allegedly had some trouble recently, and even fired and rehired Ferrer, who was a longtime employee at the store.
One mall employee witnessed the ordeal. “He was trying to crawl out, and [Kiriazis] shot him two more times,” she said. “He had to play dead.”
Another witness said an employee told him she heard shots. “One of the employees that works in Macy’s said she heard, bam, bam bam,” he said.
Another woman said she heard four “very loud shots.”
An employee of a store in the mall was told to close the store’s gate.
Police continue to investigate the motive behind the shooting. The Fast-Fix jewelry store has since reopened.
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