"They were right on top of it all the way," Edmonson said. "The major importance was to get the customers out of the mall so they'd be safe."

Within days, Edmonson said, customers had returned.

Kimberly Reason, spokeswoman for Macy's department store — one of the anchor tenants at Tacoma Mall — agreed.

"What I remember about Tacoma was that business bounced back very quickly because law enforcement reacted quickly," Reason said. "My recollection is that by the next day business was fairly back to normal."

Tacoma Mall management did not immediately respond to the Deseret Morning News' request for information.

It took longer for customers to return to some businesses, particularly some that were closer to the site of the shooting, according to some shop owners and employees.

"I do know that it ruined our Christmas (shopping) season," said an employee at That Kitchen Shop, a specialty kitchen-supply store, who asked not to be identified. "I think people just did not want to come to the mall, and more specifically to this end of the mall, where it happened."

Robert K. Bruce, manager of Tinder Box, a specialty cigar/pipe/gift shop, said it took months for his store to recover.

"It was probably a good eight to nine months" before business returned to a more regular pace, Bruce said. "I think some customers showed a lot of fear, coming back to the mall."

Still, Bruce said he was never tempted to pull up stakes.

"I've been here 10 years, and the store's been here since the mall opened," he said. "So, no. I wasn't tempted."

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E-mail: jnii@desnews.com