Video inside food court during Augusta Mall shooting goes viral, new information released

Following a shooting inside the Dillard's at the Augusta Mall on Sunday, videos and stories about the emotion inside the building during the ordeal have been trending on social media.

The Richmond County Sheriff's Office confirmed one person was shot inside the Dillard's store just after 1:40 p.m. Sunday. Panicked shoppers frantically ran from the mall after hearing the gunshots.

Benny Loiseau, who was in the food court at the time of the shooting, captured the incident on video and later posted it to Facebook.

"I was in the mall and then [I] heard two shots go off – pow, pow," Loiseau told The Chronicle. "Then everybody started running. I pulled out my camera because I thought this would be a good time to go viral."

Previous reporting: Dillard's employees say they hid during shooting at Augusta Mall

The video, which has more than 15,000 plays, shows food and drinks purchased at the food court splayed across the floor as screaming shoppers hastily exited the building.

Both the shooter and victim fled the scene before law enforcement and EMS arrived minutes later.

Richmond County sheriff's deputies later learned the shooting victim drove themselves to a local hospital and was being treated for a gunshot wound, according to previous reporting .

The mall locked down and remained closed for the rest of the day.

Dillard's, mall officials provide more details

Mall officials told The Chronicle on Monday that Dillard's operates independently from the mall and has it's own security team and operations.

In terms of the mall's security, officials said they have a K9 Unit, a license plate recognition system and cameras, but releasing more information about it's protocols may compromise the effectiveness of its program.

The mall declined to issue a statement about the shooting, saying questions about the active investigation should be directed to Dillard's and the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.

Dillard's corporate released the following statement Monday afternoon: "The safety and security of our customers and associates is of utmost importance at Dillard's. We understand this was an isolated event among the parties involved, and we are truly thankful nobody else was harmed. We are fully cooperating with authorities on the matter and referring any further questions to them."

Deputies seek information about mall shooting

The sheriff's office released a BOLO alert late Sunday featuring a photo of two women, stating they are wanted for questioning in relation to the shooting.

The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to a request sent Monday seeking clarification as to whether or not the women are considered suspects in the shooting.

Anyone with information about the women should contact investigator Britney Moore at 706-821-4850, according to the BOLO. Callers may remain anonymous.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Video inside food court during Augusta Mall shooting goes viral, new information released