OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — It's unimaginable — what Target team members have shared since January 31st.
"I was scared this is how I might die — at work. It was just terrifying, to be honest," Lauren told 3 News Now on the day of the shooting at the store at 178th and Center.
Her colleague, Samuel, also spoke with us.
"This really drives it home that it could happen anywhere, it could happen at any time, no matter who you're with. It's just very surreal," he said.
Yet, those in red were credited by police and shoppers with saving lives.
"Target employees did an excellent job leading everybody out the back door that was in my area," recalled witness, Mark Dunbar. "It happened so quickly and we were out of the store so fast. Ten seconds probably."
Another witness, Cathy Mahannah, explained, "I was pulling out of Target, they had the employees at the entrances to pull in — telling everybody ... Go! Go! There's an active shooter. So they really responded very well."
It dawned on one woman that saying 'Thank You' was best done by hand and from the heart. Chelsea Karlgaard lives near Target. She's organizing a neighborhood effort to flood employees with messages of gratitude and support.
"I didn't want anyone to feel the need to go buy anything. Most of us, I think — second nature, Target would have been the store we would have done that at," she said.
Chelsea shared part of the card she made: "Thank you for your courage and dedication. We hope you know many of us have had you in our thoughts and our prayers."
She explained, "We live so close. I think so many of us that live in our neighborhood — that's almost like a second home for us. Our family knows some of the employees — definitely by face, a few of them by first-name basis. And you just know that emotionally, the return to work is heavy ... and you just want to show that sense of empathy and compassion and patience, and just that overall sense of support."
"I think we all just need to have a little bit more of a human touch with one another ... and just that sense of connection," she said.
Chelsea is collecting cards from neighbors and will deliver those on Thursday. She encourages other Omahans who'd like to support Target team members to take homemade cards to the store this week, as well.
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