Four people jumped into action to save workers trapped inside a burning BP gas station amidst the violence in Sherman Park earlier this month.
In exclusive TODAY'S TMJ4 video, you can see a man slam a fire extinguisher into the bulletproof glass of the station over and over, while two clerks were trapped inside helplessly watching. At the same time, the gas station was lit on fire.
"It was chaos, it was chaos," said Shawn Moore, there with the community group Safe Zone.
"It was like a nightmare," remembers Shalonda Ezell.
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Ezell considers herself a community activist, and says she had been out earlier trying to calm people down. That's when she saw what was happening at the BP. Ezell says she knew at least one woman inside working.
"I just kept yelling, 'She in there, she in there,'" said Ezell.
Her screams were heard by Moore, Vaun Mayes, and another man, who jumped into action.
"Realizing that before long the flames would engulf it and they would not be able to get out, I think the people I was with and myself we just reacted," said Moore.
"Myself and a couple other people tried to talk them into coming out, but they were so scared they didn't want to come out, so we actually went into the store and got them out," said Mayes.
The female clerk grabbed onto Ezell after she got out, and Ezell walked her to her car. She said she started it for her so the two workers could escape the violence. Ezell said she only realizing after they were gone what could have happened.
"It could have been two lives that were gone over something that could have been prevented," said Ezell.
The fourth rescuer talked to TODAY'S TMJ4 but did not want to do an on-camera interview. He said he was glad the workers are safe.
Milwaukee Police said they are still investigating the events that led up to the fire and who rescued those inside. Officials said no one involved in the rescue has come forward as a witness or to give information about the incident.
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