A Hyde Park Mall patron on Thursday described how shop owners and mall workers came out and pulled shoppers out of danger’s way during an armed robbery of a jewellery story.

 “They were so brave. They were grabbing people‚ especially the elderly and some children‚ and dragging them into their shops‚” said York Zucchi.

 “It really was beautiful how they tried to help everyone‚” he added.

 Zucchi had been in the middle of a business meeting at Tashas‚ just metres away from the robbery scene when a gunshot went off sending people into a panic.

He took cover in the nearby Exclusive Books shop.

 Less than five minutes later‚ the entire ordeal was over.

 “There were glass fragments all over the shop. I can’t tell you why they fired that shot because it seemed the glass where the jewellery was had been smashed into‚” said Zucchi.

 Police spokesperson‚ Captain Lungelo Dlamini said a group of around seven armed men had carried out the robbery.

 He said the gang had confronted staff with guns and fired a single shot before fleeing with jewellery worth thousands.

 No one was injured.

“At the end‚ only a couple of children were left traumatised along with their grandmother‚” said Zucchi.