WINNIPEG -- People who witnessed the aftermath of a brazen theft and attack at the Tyndall Market Liquor Mart in Winnipeg Wednesday afternoon saw violence spill into a neighbouring mall.
Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries said Wednesday night three of its employees were assaulted at the Tyndall Market location on Keewatin Street, one of whom was sent to hospital, in what it called an unprovoked attack.
A video of the attack shows people who appear to be employees being pushed and shoved and a person being punched in the face.
Winnipeg police are expected to release more information Thursday on the incident that has left people who work at the mall shaken.
A man at one of the businesses in the mall said he was shoved onto a couch and his wife was punched in the face. Another woman at a different business heard commotion in the mall and told CTV News she was threatened.
“He robbed the [liquor mart] and came in the mall,” said the woman, who asked not be identified because she fears for her safety. “He threatened to stab me. He told me he was going to stab me.”
The woman said she let two mall patrons hide in her office.
“We just all locked our doors.”
Grace Cabales was working in a different office when she heard yelling, swearing and then the fire alarm go off. She said one of the suspects tried to get into her office before they were stopped by a bystander.
“Oh my gosh, it was horrible. It was scary. Everyone was just panicking,” said Cabalas. “Luckily for us there was this one customer that tried to stop him from getting in. So we are thankful for him.”
Cabalas is thankful no one at her office was hurt, but she’s saddened to hear about the victims hurt in the attack.
Based on witness accounts it appears the violence spilled outside the mall before the situation came to an end.
The witness who didn’t want to be identified said a bystander helped save two women being threatened in the mall’s rear parking lot.
“He was on top of them and he had a bottle in his hand and I said, ‘he’s going to hit them in the head,’” the woman said. “So I went out there.”
“And I really have to thank the man that saved us because he put them [the suspects] to the ground.”