SEATTLE — Robert Robinson has been unlucky enough to find himself in two shooting situations in the last 10 years.
Robinson was a witness in the Mount Vernon Walmart shooting Sunday night. In 2016, he was working at Macy's in Burlington when Arcan Cetin shot and killed five people at Cascade Mall.
"My first thought was not again," Robinson said of Sunday night's shooting that left five people wounded.
Sunday's shooting was different. This time, Robinson was with his partner and her 15-year-old daughter.
“Trying to focus on what exactly is going on, like, is that gunfire? Is it falling down? Then when you see people running away it’s like, that is gunfire,” said Robinson.
He said it wasn’t until the second round of shots were fired that he knew they needed to run.
“That’s where the scared nature and adrenaline rush of, alright, we cannot just stand here, we have to get as far away from this situation as possible,” Robinson said.
Robinson believes that he saw the Walmart employee that was shot.
“I’m pretty sure that security guard was the one rushing to the area," he said. "Because it’s after he ran and after he passed us that the second round of shooting began."
Robinson is now thinking of the security guard that ran toward the gunfire.
"Watching him quickly run to the scene, because he definitely gave his best in terms of responding to the situation. Like he was going straight into what was going on.”
Robinson is also thankful that he and his family were able to come out of this shooting unharmed.
“If I had a nickel for every shooting I’ve been a part of, I’d have two, which isn’t a lot. But it’s sad to say that I’d have two. It’s sad to say that it’s happened twice,” said Robinson.
Robinson's partner left her phone as she was running out and Mount Vernon Police said a woman left her puppy in a cart during that chaos. Mount Vernon Police believe they’ve found the dogs owner.