By Thomasi McDonald
The News & Observer
OMAHA, Neb. — The day after a teenage gunman shot and killed nine people, including himself, at an Omaha, Neb., mall, at least two Triangle malls reviewed their emergency response procedures, while others reassured the public that their malls are safe.
Northgate Mall in Durham and Triangle Town Center in Raleigh went over their security plans in the wake of the shooting at Omaha’s Westroads Mall, where authorities say the gunman smuggled in an assault rifle.
“We had a plan to meet with our security, as well as our security director, our general manager and our operations director,” Jennifer Jones, Triangle Town Center’s marketing director, said Thursday afternoon.
Two other malls, Crabtree Valley in Raleigh and The Streets at Southpoint in Durham, declined to say whether they were reviewing their safety procedures, but said they are always on alert.
“Providing a safe place for the community to shop is already our top concern every day of the year, and our customized security plan includes patrols by both our private security officers and off-duty law enforcement officers we also hire,” said Patrick Anderson, general manager of The Streets at Southpoint, in a news release.
Crabtree Valley Mall has its own police department, security officers and 66 emergency phones throughout the mall parking lots. Sandra Geist, Crabtree Valley’s director of marketing, said mall officials are prepared for a worst-case scenario.
Like most area malls, the Triangle Town Center strengthens its security for the holiday season, Jones said.
Northgate endured its own holiday tragedy in 2005. A teenager was shot to death outside the mall the day after Christmas. This fall, on Oct. 13, another young man was stabbed to death at Northgate.
Paula Harris, Northgate Mall’s marketing director, said the mall has hired more guards and has more police patrols for the Christmas shopping season.
Harris said the key is everyone, including customers, “just kind of being vigilant.”
But Harris said sometimes all the vigilance and precaution in the world can’t stop tragedy and misfortune. She noted the partial collapse of a parking deck at a Charlotte mall on Thursday.
Copyright 2007 The News & Observer