Gunmen still on the loose in TJ Maxx hostage case

ambushed a Venice TJ Maxx and held six people at gun point.The robbery happened around 9:30 Wednesday night as employees were closing the store for the night.Police say the men, dressed in dark clothing and wearing masks, forced their way into the store at gun point and bound the hands of their six victims.  Police say four of the people were employees and two were customers.Several people were able to escape the attack and called 911.  Two of the hostages, who asked not to be identified, told their story to 10 Connects."I said a lot of prayers," said one of the women.She says she remembers seeing multiple people screaming and running down the aisle.  She soon found out why."Before I knew it, the gunman was in our face and asked me to get on the floor, put my hands behind my back and proceeded to tie my hands together," she explained.The gunman didn't do a very good job of binding her hands, because minutes later, she discovered her hands had become untied."I stayed low because I didn't know where they were in the store and eventually I shimmied by way on the floor into the fitting room," she said.  She says she turned the lights off and hid the light switch with a rack of clothing so the gunmen wouldn't find it.  She estimates that she stayed hidden under the dressing room bench for at least three hours."I had no idea for all those three hours what was going on inside or outside.  I could hear helicopters overhead, but as long as I didn't hear any police in the store, if they weren't coming in, they must have also thought they were still inside," she recalled.At the time, it was believed the gunmen were still inside the store.  Venice Police called the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office SWAT team to help."At this point, we know after the fact, even prior to us arriving on scene, they [suspects] were already gone," said Captain Thomas McNulty with Venice Police.A 911 caller who saw the robbery happen from outside the store is heard telling a dispatcher that he saw a dark colored SUV with dark tinted windows leave the scene moments after the robbery.Police do not have a good description of the suspects because they kept their identities hidden.It is believed they were after the cash in the store office, according to police."They were masked, they were hooded, they had gloves on.  I just got a small glimpse of the guy that put me on the floor," one of the hostages told 10 Connects.None of the six people were seriously injured.  Police say one person suffered "temporary" injury after she was pushed to the floor by one of the assailants.While there were no serious physical injuries, the emotional trauma remained clear in the eyes of the hostages."A lot of thoughts were going through my mind, whether I would make it home that night, how the employees were," said the hostage, "As long as I didn't hear gunshots, that was a good sign."It was not clear if the suspects left with anything from the store.  Venice Police are asking anyone with information, to call them at  (941) 486-2444./>