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Sohn: Hamilton Place and Chattanooga dodged a bullet

Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / The exterior of the Hamilton Place mall is tinted blue by police lights from dozens of police vehicles Saturday after mistaken calls of "active shooter".
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / The exterior of the Hamilton Place mall is tinted blue by police lights from dozens of police vehicles Saturday after mistaken calls of "active shooter". Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / The exterior of the Hamilton Place mall is tinted blue by police lights from dozens of police vehicles Saturday after mistaken calls of "active shooter".

By Pam Sohn 5 min read

For local evidence that American nerves are frayed over the prevalence of guns and gun violence in our lives, look no further than Hamilton Place mall on last week’s busy Saturday night.

It began with an argument outside a store. It ended with a warrant for an 18-year-old’s arrest on a charge of aggravated riot.

It was what happened in between – when people ran screaming out of the mall and social media reports falsely claimed multiple casualties – that gave grim testimony to our growing fear and paranoia. Consider these social media posts that began shortly after 6 in the evening:

» “me & [a friend] were at hamilton place mall when there was a shooting. we heard the gunshots. … it was the most terrifying experience of my life. I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO TO THE MALL W MY FRIENDS W/OUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT THIS.”

» “We were at Hamilton place mall. there was a fight right beside us. then a guy that was carrying pulls his gun out and shouts ‘drop your weapon’ then shots[sic], then we got out.”