Van Houten said mall workers and customers were in the car park for half an hour before they were able to return inside.
“We noticed Michael Hill had been smashed and grabbed … after my shift we got a closer look and saw that a lot of the glass cabinets had been broken into, the front ones didn’t seem [smashed] but the ones towards the back seemed completely broken.”
She said the recent fatal stabbings at a Sydney mall were top of mind for her and the salon’s hairdresser.
“Me and my co-worker had discussed [the other week] what would we do in a situation like that y’know, so we already were on the same page.”
Another retail worker told RNZ she thought the Bondi stabbings was one of the main reasons people in the mall were panicked.
Van Houten agreed it was nerve-wracking but said she was determined to keep calm for her customers.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the shopping centre said they were limited in what information they could provide as it was an active police investigation.
“However the safety of our customers, retailers and colleagues is of paramount importance to us. We would like to commend the swift action of the New Zealand Police, as well as our retailers, security teams and colleagues for managing the situation in line with our security procedures.
“The Northwest Shopping Centre team continues to support all of those involved following [Sunday’s] incident, and are actively assisting New Zealand Police in their investigation.”
Police were asking anyone who had cellphone footage of the incident or information which would help with inquiries to call 105 or report online at 105.police.govt.nz clicking “Update Report” and referencing file number 240412/0735.
People could also call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
RNZ