Westfield Gateway opening leads to chaotic scene

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By the Lincoln Journal Star

The excitement at Westfield Gateway’s grand reopening proved a little too much for some eager shoppers Friday evening.

At least one person reported being assaulted as shoppers pushed, shoved and rushed over one another to enter the mall, hoping to grab one of the 1,000 prize boxes being handed out, said Lincoln police Sgt. Geoffrey Marti. Ten of the boxes contained $500 mall gift cards.

The event, set to start at 5:30 p.m., was delayed for about 30 minutes as the crowds swelled to between 2,500 and 3,000, he said.

No reports of injuries were made to police, he said.

“While it might have been pretty spectacular for people there, it didn’t generate a lot of reports for us,” Marti said.

Three Lincoln police officers and a sergeant were hired by the mall, in addition to the mall’s security officers, to handle security at the event. Two officers also directed traffic, he said.

Terry Rush, director of Lincoln High School’s marching band, called the scene a disgusting display of humanity, as about 100 band members got caught in the melee.

He said he was told the crowd would follow the band through the food court as they played, then they would exit through a side door.

Instead, he said, the event became a stampede. He said he felt forced to become angry with a security guard so he and his band could be allowed to escape.

“I’m very disappointed in people that run Westfield right now,” he said.

“I saw people shoved around, kids separated from their parents, adults crying, people knocked down on the ground. I saw one woman with an ice bag on her head,” Rush said.

Westfield officials, who could not be reached for comment, told Rush they did not expect the crowd that showed up Friday night, he said.

“The people going in there should be ashamed of themselves,” he said. “They had no regard for these young musicians.”

Reach Gwen Tietgen at 473-7242 or gtietgen@journalstar.com.