'It was surreal;' mall-goer recounts nightmarish experience
CLACKAMAS, Ore. - Daniel Martinez had just sat down at Jamba Juice inside Clackamas Town Center when suddenly he heard rapid gunfire.
He turned around and saw a masked gunman wearing dark clothing about 10 feet away.
Instantly, the 22-year-old Hood River man said he knew the enormity of the situation, as others frantically ran by or dropped to the ground. One man grabbed his infant from a stroller and fled into a nearby store, Martinez said.
“I just saw him (the gunman) and thought, ‘I need to go somewhere,’” Martinez said. “It was so fast, and at that time, everyone was moving around.”
Martinez ran to the nearest clothing store. As he ran, he motioned for another woman to follow; several others ran to the store as well, hiding in a fitting room.
Martinez said he and others hid in the fitting room for about an hour. In the meantime, SWAT officers combed the mall, telling groups of people to stay where they were because the gunman hadn’t yet been apprehended, he said.
After an hour and a half, police told the group they could leave the mall. Martinez said he walked an older woman to her car before heading to his vehicle.
“People were calm,” Martinez said. But “when they were escorted out, there were a lot of people crying and some people were very angry.”
Tuesday evening, he said he’s still sorting through the gravity of the situation and feels fortunate he got out safe.
“It was very surreal,” he said. “It was like, ‘Is this really happening?’”
Martinez posted a photo Tuesday evening on his Instagram page taken inside the mall following the shootings. “What an experience,” Martinez wrote. “My condolences go out to everyone.”
and of course everybody says ooo they need legalize control and things like that legalize firearms or not the desitions of shoot somebody still there just you need to get mad depression one broken circuit on the brain and thats it go aout get you gun and shoot somebody and then killyourself its true believe or not its not just out even in the families they kill their own families thats happening cuz guns are realle accesible to everybody believe or not its true.
i saw that coming since the Movie Theater i though now was the movie theater then will be the mall the parking lots and many things crazy people is there all the time.
I have a feeling that in the coming days we're going to see some more of this type of lunacy born of self-fulfilled doomsday prophecies.
this could not have happened. I know that because there is a rule for No Guns in the store. So this all has to be fake. Bad people cannot break the law. that's why we have all these laws. Right? I mean more gun control would fix this.. must be a loop hole somewhere.
 @iamright555 Not that many loop holes. An updated report said that the perp stole the rifle from a friends house.
Of course the perp was a lunatic - and with that said:
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He wasn't *totally* nuts, was he? Â He chose his place deliberately, planned his access and actions prior to enacting this madness.Â
He wasn't *totally* nuts - he chose a place where he *knew* people were not armed (the mall prohibits firearms.) Â How come he didn't choose to go to say... a shooting range, or the police station? Â Because he knew they would shoot back!Â
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Was he sane? Â No, obviously not. Â Was he totally nutz? Â Obviously not.
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My heartfelt condolences to those who suffer from this.
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Humbly, Umhal.
I agree with Harry that gun should be abandon or be more strict under a strict circumstances. If you have a knife and a gun which one will ended up killing you faster? Of. Course is the gun. This is why this country is going crazy because the parents trained our kids to watch violent movies and they are exposed to gun so early in their life. I hear so many stories like a husband got angry at their wife n start shooting her, or their kids play with the gun and accidentally shot someone. Once in a life time when you get someone who invades into your home while more people use guns to put their anger down. I dont see benefit in owning a gun..i know you all will say im stupid and wish that there is a block button to block me. i am hoping that you all do some more research on other countries then you will realize that other countries have less news on these kind of tragic events..
 @naturewonder Explain that the the 70 people shot in Sweden shot down by a nut and where no guns are allowed or in England were gun violence is up 35% last year and guns are not allowed...
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Ever wonder why the crazy guy in Colorado who shot up the theater whet to the theater that was farthest from his home when there were 7 other bigger and closer?
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Could it be that it was the only one of 7 the did not allow CHL holders to carry so he knew no one would be shooting back...YA THINK!!!!
wow...how ignorant...guns aren't going away...gun control does not stop gun violence....that's obvious...whether they are legal or not, there's always going to be guns on the black market.
Sorry to say but, we have to pick the lesser of two evils here....I'd rather have the chance with my gun in any situation where I find it necessary to protect myself or others rather than trying to outrun a bullet fired by a criminal and/or nut.
 @naturewonder Oh, gee, thanks.
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Those of us who carry guns have NEVER considered things like that. What would we do without your profound insight. Wow. Jeez.Â
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Until you explain to me how you're going to outlaw and then come and take a nation full of guns, hippie, you might as well try to flap your arms and fly to the moon.
 @naturewonder "If you have a knife and a gun which one will ended up killing you faster? Of. Course is the gun."  Google search "Knife wound."  I will tell you that I'm more afraid of getting filleted or disemboweled by a knife than hit by a gun based on (limited, thankfully) experience and my training.
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The most important point, though:Â "Gun should be abandon or more strict under a strict circumstances."
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What are you going to do about it? Come take my weapons? Until you explain that, everything else is fantasy.
 @naturewonder That gun didn't walk itself into the mall - please reconsider your position on this subject.  It's simply not reasonable to presume restricting guns will alter a lunatic's behavior - lunatics don't care about laws!
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 @HarryJuku The only ones with blood on their hands, are the unarmed corpses, lying in the food court.
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Be careful what you wish for (being unarmed). You just might get it in the end.
@HarryJuku Because of ignorant people like you, guns are not allowed in the mall so nobody could protect them, the blood is one "your" hands you fool!
 @Improprietous I agree
 @Richard Perkins And even if they are 60 seconds away, it only takes less than five for the gunman to point his gun and shoot. That's five seconds that I could at least make the attempt to draw mine first.
 @flyroy I'm on your side but I wanted to point out that the police were actually there within one minute from the first 9-1-1 calls, have to give it them they responded as fast as they could.
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That being said that is not a normal response time so you are still exactly right.
 @wahoo That's your new favorite phrase, huh. "Ignorant conservative." LOL, you keep saying it over and over, like you just got a new toy for your 5th birthday. Can you actually add something intellectual to the forum?
@wahoo Would I have been there and in a position, I would put myself between the shooter and even you! However, I am a law abiding citizen and this is a no gun shopping mall, so good luck when you get raped, stabbed, robbed etc... and just hope the police can respond in minutes when seconds matter! I would rather be ignorant than stupid, as ignorance is curable, but in your case stupid is forever!
 @wahoo More ignorant liberal sheeple....
 @naturewonderÂ
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Per the FBI there are probably over 250 million guns in this country (not counting LE and the military). Guns are not going away and neither is the desire for self protection. Do you really think that the American people will voluntarily give up their right to self protection? Will the criminals magically give up their guns? Guns are here to stay. What we need are more honest, law-abiding citizens who are trained to carry and use guns responsibly.
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And the reason that many counties don't have stories like this is that they have far less freedoms and rights than we do and if you break the law in those countries you disappear.
naturewonder, banning these guns now would be like attemjpting to close the barn door after all the livestock have escaped. Or attempting to control a deadly contagious disease purposely let loose into the atmosphere by the CDC to see how many people will be affected. Once out there there, there's really no way to control either. These problems should have been considered and addressed long before they were ever allowed into the general population.
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People, you can continue to follow the poor direction of the failed left and the progressives of both parties and voluntarily disarm yourselves. It is your choice. But may I suggest you put yourself in the place of those in the mall today. If you cannot reach an area of safety, do you want to depend on the shooter 'missing' or the gun 'jamming' for your saved life? Or do you want some control?
Exercise your constitutional right to bear an arm.
Now. If not for yourself then for your loved ones.
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 @HarryJuku Trained, CHL holders typically respond very well under pressure. Even if a CHL holder had a .22, a repetitious draw, and collected focus is all it takes to place a well-aligned shot to the skull or neck. Don't be so quick to downplay the power of even the smallest gun. In the hands of a trained individual, it can be as deadly as a .50 caliber.
 @HarryJuku  @Jack_Bauer Out of 3.5 million in Oregon only about 100,000 have CHL like I do so the odds one was standing near the shooter are about as likely as you getting hit by the meteor I mentioned while your hiding in your closet.
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However I bet there are about 1000 of the 10,000 that were there that have signed up for a CHL and are shopping for a XMAS gun so the next time they are in a mall with a nut they have more options then to hope he is a bad shot or not proficient with guns like it appears thankfully was the case with this guy...
 @HarryJuku  @Jack_Bauer Your searing rhetoric and staunch anti-gun opinion, on the other hand, would have been far more effective at stopping him.
 @HarryJuku  @Jack_Bauer Harry, who did our community turn to for help when this happened?  Oh yes, believe it... it was people with MORE GUNS (cops.)
I strongly suggest you reconsider your position on this issue.
@HarryJuku @Jack_Bauer And yes, the cops were there in minutes when seconds mattered! The result is always the same when responsible persons are denied their constitutional rights to bear arms, just like in the theater a couple months ago at another establishment with a no-gun restriction. I will not shop at any of these stores, as they can't provide proper protection, but I could just hide in my parents basement my whole life and make nothing but snarky remarks all day like Harry, and hope my mommy protects me if something bad happens!
PROUD TO BE A TRAINED, CONCEALED HANDGUN HOLDER.
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I hope stories such as this spark awareness and motivation to start training and defending yourselves with deadly force against those that attempt to snuff out your existence.
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Unarmed citizens can rely on faith to protect them. I rely on a jacketed hollow point.
In the end, the citizens that rely on faith are often the ones in the obituaries.
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 @wahoo The only ignorant people in this conversation are the ones who go to great lengths to protect their homes, computers, cars, healthcare, phones, finances, but don't lift a finger to protect themselves against a literal attack to their life.
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Instead of spending your time mocking me, why don't you use this instance as a learning opportunity for you to raise awareness on the importance of personal defense.
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Remember when terrorists used to take over planes and everyone used to just sit in their seats and wait until they crashed it into a building? Well, today, people are tackling those same people on planes who are attempting to cause a problem, knowing that it's either them, or the criminal. Oh, and the pilots now have guns. Too bad we can't exercise that same amount of courage off the plane. Or can we...?
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DON'T BE A VICTIM.
 @wahoo Sorry this state of 3.5Mil only has about 100,000 CHL holders or as you call them RAMBOS so it was not very likely he was standing next to a RAMBO when he did the shooting...
 @Improprietous I rely on faith AND the hollow points.
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 @HarryJukuÂ
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Don't you?Â
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Ten bucks says you have a lock on your front door that you use.
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How come people will go to great lengths to lock their doors, install alarms in their cars, get medical and life insurance, put antivirus software on their computer, download a tracking application to their cell phone in case someone steals it, puts passwords on everything, but everyone acts like it's a sin to secure your life? How about you prioritize what's REALLY important.
 @HarryJuku  @Jack_Bauer  @Improprietous Neither do I but just like a put my seat belt on every time I get in the car I also put my Kahr MK40 on every time I leave the house!
 @HarryJuku  @Jack_Bauer  @Improprietous You mean you only spew your ignorance while online, and are to chicken to do it in person?
 @HarryJuku  @Jack_Bauer  @Improprietous Not everyone attacked the two dead people at the mall. Only one guy did.
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I don't own a rape whistle but that doesn't mean people don't get raped.  Whatever... you're insulting gun owners but you wouldn't have done anything but pee yourself either so all of this is like fantasy football until you can explain to others how you're going to confiscate people's guns.
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Otherwise, start by outlawing crime and see how that works.
Praying for all of those affected at Clackamas Town Center today.
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Tired of HarryJuku; Who pissed in your Cherrios? You're always commenting and making things uglier than they are. You must not have a life at all, just trolling the internet from your soap box, putting everyone else down.
Now rip me a new one for calling a spade a spade.
You have no idea how toxic you are---I'll bet mirrors terrify you.........Evil you are!
 @Sweet D He likes all of us to respond to his crazy comments.. The best thing to do is not respond at all to his sick comments, then and only then he will go away.. Responding to him is giving this troll what he is looking for..  Just ignore him, he's just a lame little troll..
 @Sweet D Let's keep the focus on the victims and not some guy on internet forums, yes?
 @uocliff  @Sweet D Roger that. Thanks.
@Sweet D I wish there was a way to block people like that on here, it's a common feature on many forums and comment systems.
 @HuskyKMA  @Sweet flag him
I am proud that I am gun carrying American citizen along with my husband, I will not allow myself to be a victim. I dare anyone to try to take away my rights.
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 @wahoo ahahahahahaha. "Constipated conservative"
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I'm going to tally up how many times you copy and paste your little phrase.
 @wahoo What a sick and perverted thing to say. I am very glad you don't own a gun because you seem like the type sick and perverted enough to be the next news story...
 @MarshaMarshaMarsha Maybe if there were more people like you, the gunman could have been stopped.  I'll be purchasing a concealed carry weapon by the end of the year.  Not just because of this incident, but if bad guys have guns, then why shouldn't I?  I will be registering mine, however. Â
 @uocliff  @MarshaMarshaMarsha Please make sure you get properly trained as well as a local gun club or course. I think the Clackamus county sheriff office does training and they have an indoor range as well.
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They are two blocks from the shooting which is likely why police where there in 1 minute from when it started.
 @FreedomRocks The Place to Shoot, near the Expo Center in North Portland is another excellent place to train.
 @uocliff  @MarshaMarshaMarsha "I will be registering mine, however."
Huh? Since there is no gun 'registration' then there is no way to 'register' it.
However, if you purchase it from a dealer (FFL) and not a private sale then your purchase is pretty much on record. Kind of like registering it.
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 @MarshaMarshaMarsha Just want to clarify on the behalf on many who were victimized at various times/places with or without a gun of their own...that you cannnot always guarantee your safety, gun-carrying or not. Just because someone has a gun does not make it a sure bet they won't get victimized. Just because someone does not have a gun does not mean they brought being victimized on themselves nor should they be blamed. ALWAYS: the blame belongs to the criminal, not the victim. ALWAYS.