Witnesses Say Costco’s Emergency Exit Doors Wouldn’t Open During Corona Shooting

Some witnesses are saying that emergency doors they tried to use after they heard shots fired at Costco wouldn’t open, preventing them from leaving the store during a shooting at a Costco in Corona, California on Friday night. They told multiple news sources that this added to the panic. An issue with the doors has not been confirmed, so it’s unclear at this time exactly what happened. Costco has not yet responded publicly about the doors as of the time of publication. Here is what the witnesses are saying.
ABC 7 reported that after shots were fired and people tried to escape, they found that the doors were locked. This added to the panic in the room.
Naveed Navi and Rochelle Flores, who were in Costco when the shots were fired, told KTLA 5 the same thing. They said they tried to escape through emergency doors, but the doors wouldn’t open. Flores said she hurt her hand trying to force the doors to open.
Flores told KTLA 5: “It’s not very fun when you’re scared and you’re running for your life, and you’re trying to open a door that says ’emergency’ and they don’t open. Everybody was freaking out. People were falling over each other.”
She said that everyone ended up having to run through the front entrance doors and many felt traumatized by the whole thing.
A Twitter user named @j_spanish also said that he was at Costco and was injured trying to go through the doors as well. “I’m trying to figure out why the hell your emergency doors couldn’t open at the Corona Costco tonight during the f***ing shooting…” He later wrote: “Omg yes it is and I’m pretty sure they will justify this but people got hurt going for the doors I did some other guy did and a lady on the news said she was hurt as well.”
Twitter
Twitter
He also wrote the following: “For those saying there is a delay to emergency doors, you guys wont understand why people are mad because you was not there. Someone is literally killing people in a store I shouldnt have to wait 15 seconds to go through an emergency door. You can let off 13 shots in 15 seconds.” [sic]
Twitter
On Twitter, @ReeU129 shared another story from friends who were there and couldn’t get the emergency doors opened. However, these witnesses believed the emergency doors were latched. The story they shared included Fabian Irani sharing: “Our exit didn’t open that easily… We thought this is it… The someone came and had to open a latch at the bottom. Who the f*** latches an emergency exit.” [sic]
Twitter
One person was killed in the shooting after an argument broke out in the store, and one to two people were injured. The suspect is in custody.
People familiar with Costco stores are chiming in with their ideas about what might have happened. Spencer Thomas, who works for a Costco in Seattle, wrote on Twitter: “I work for Costco up by Seattle. The doors are not locked. The ones at our wharehouse [sic] are on a 10 to 12 second time delay before they open. Not sure why the doors are set like that. I know sh

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