Guard Shoots at Shoplifters at Penn Square Mall, Shoppers Worry About Rising Crime

Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An armed security guard at Penn Square Mall pulled his gun and shot at two women suspected of shoplifting.

Oklahoma City police said shortly before 2:00 p.m. Friday, the guard working for Dillard's chased two female shoplifters into the west end of the mall's parking lot.

"They were able to make it to their vehicle and as they were attempting to flee, the officer did discharge his weapon," said Oklahoma City Police Captain Patrick Stewart.

Captain Stewart would not say why the officer opened fire on the theft suspects.

The incident was captured on tape by a Dillard's security camera. Police are reviewing the tapes and are expected to release them to the media at some point.

The officer who fired the shots is employed by the V.A. Hospital's Police Department in Oklahoma City and works part-time at Dillard's as a security officer.

Shoppers said crime is a growing problem at Penn Square Mall. NEWS 9 spoke to a former mall employee who said she stopped working there because of the crimes that continued to plague the popular shopping spot.

"The security, they keep trying to step it up and it doesn't seem like it's working," said former mall employee Christina Hughes. "They had the stabbing last month. We had rapes and everything else out here. It's just a concern. It's a big concern