Oakville, Ontario – A routine evening of shopping at Oakville Place Mall on Wednesday (July 2) devolved into chaos and terror as customers scrambled for safety, convinced they were hearing gunshots during a smash-and-grab robbery.
The incident unfolded around 6 p.m. at the Michael Hill Jewellery Store, shattering the usual mall ambiance with loud bangs and the sound of breaking glass. The mall, located near the QEW and Trafalgar Road, quickly became a scene of panic as shoppers reacted to what many believed were gunshots.
“I thought this was it. I thought I was going to get hit by a bullet. I hit the floor,” one shaken shopper recounted on social media, describing the immediate fear that gripped patrons. Another echoed the sentiment, posting, “Sounded like gunshots to me. I wasn’t taking any chances so I ducked into a store.”
While authorities have not confirmed if shots were fired, initial reports suggest the alarming sounds were likely the result of the robbers smashing instruments into glass display cases.
What is confirmed is that a robbery took place in the now all-too-common smash-and-grab style. Masked bandits reportedly rushed into the mall, targeted the jewellery store, and used hammers and bats to break into showcases before fleeing with an unspecified amount of valuables.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries.
Following the incident, the mall was placed on lockdown, with all stores closing their doors. The event has left many in the community shaken, with one person commenting on X (formerly Twitter), “People at the mall thought they heard gunshots and hid in nearby stores or fled the mall. This is a mall with kids, elderly, and families. The anxiety I have with letting my kids do the things I did at their age isn’t based on irrationality; it’s based on reality.”