ATLANTA — A horrifying 911 call from the shooting at Lenox Mall over the weekend describes what a witness saw when police said a Macy's employee was robbed and gunned down by two suspects.
The woman was shot as she was walking to her car around noon on Saturday.
The 911 caller told police she had just pulled into the garage when she saw everything everything unfold.
"I'm in Lenox Mall and I just witnessed a young lady get shot. And they ran off," she tells the dispatcher. "They shot her."
"You say you're at Lenox Mall? What store?" The dispatcher asks.
"He took her car keys - it's in the lower level, in the level 1 Lenox Road garage," she answers.
"She was going to her car, then I heard a pop. Like a gun pop. Then I seen two guys run up the stairs," she described.
Surveillance stills released by police showed the alleged suspects bolting out of the garage towards Lenox Road, possibly heading to the MARTA station not too far from there.
Photos: Lenox Mall shooting suspects
The caller went to check on the 42-year-old victim during the call.
"Did they shoot you?" she asks the woman as crying can be heard in background. "He shot her. Oh, my God! ... she says it hurts. She's crying. He shot. I-I mean. It's got to hurt, if he shot her."
While the employee was treated and released from the hospital, so far, neither suspect has been arrested.
The shooting comes a few years after police stepped up patrols around the mall during the holidays.
Back in 2015 – following some high-profile attacks and carjackings in Buckhead – more than 235 security cameras at Lenox and Phipps Plaza were connected to the Atlanta Police Department's video monitoring system, allowing police to instantly see the four cameras closest to a 911 caller’s location.
Since then, crime trends have changed, with fewer crimes overall reported near Lenox in December 2018 to 2019 than in December 2014 to 2015. However, a community crime-mapping tool also shows fewer cases of larceny and robbery in 2018-2019 around Lenox, but more cases of aggravated assault, auto and bigger vehicle thefts, commercial burglaries and simple battery.
Maj. Andrew Senzer with the Atlanta Police Department said it just shows that some criminals will continue to strike, no matter what.
"The reality of what the incident is over the weekend, despite the increase in police presence, we still have a handful of criminals who are bold and brazen enough to commit an act of violence in front of (police) and private security," he said.
"It’s a matter of opportunity - criminals are going to exploit," he added. "A large amount of people come in the retail district. Large amount of cars. Large increase of merchandise left in cars. Criminals know that and will try and exploit that. "
The act of violence leaving the surrounding area on edge -- and shoppers around the busy mall -- more alert.
So what can you do to stay safe during the holiday season? Police say watch where you're going, and be aware of who’s around you. Put away your phone, and put your valuables in the trunk, where they can’t be seen.
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