Shoppers at a Toronto-area mall were again left fleeing for their safety this weekend after what the fourth high-profile jewellery store robbery in the GTA in just a few weeks' time.

This latest incident took place at Richmond Hill's Hillcrest Mall in the middle of the afternoon on Saturday — a time when the centre was at its busiest, bustling with people.

Azadi Jewellery was the target, with York Regional Police saying multiple suspects fled the scene after the smash-and-grab style crime.

Footage captured by bystanders shows people screaming and scattering quickly in the concourse — many of them carrying young children — as three men in hoodies, gloves and masks noisily and aggressively shatter the store's glass displays.

They can be seen hastily stuffing various big-ticket items into bags before collectively running off through a food court area and eventually getting away.

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It appears that many who heard the violent busting of the counters presumed the sounds to be that of gunshots, adding further panic and fear to the chaos that ensued.

Quite a few online claim to have witnessed the smash-and-grab job and are sharing their stories of having to bolt in the middle of a transaction or while sitting down eating.

"It was a terrifying moment for my wife and I. We were there when all of this went down. Thank God nothing happened to my wife. She was in the store next door," one person wrote on X.

"We are feeling unsafe. More and more porch pirates in our neighbourhood, more and more violent robberies. Please do something York Regional Police!" another added.

Still, others are blaming our police force, leaders, and general response to such offences in Ontario, calling the trend "a byproduct of a very weak justice system" and citing "soft sentences" that don't punish such acts harshly enough.

"Toronto is getting worse, I never ever [saw] these crimes happening back in the '80s," one person added when commenting on the video that is now circulating on socials and racking up hundreds of thousands of views.

This is what happens when the government and the police don’t have teeth to bite repeated felons

— Sam (@Sami_1867) January 6, 2024

Last month, both the White Carat Co. storefront at Bramalea City Centre in Brampton and the Cartier Store in Toronto's Yorkdale were victims of robberies, while the Koka Jewellers in Jaipur Gore Plaza — also in Brampton — was raided after burglars strategically drove a car through the side of the building.

For White Carat, it was the second smash-and-grab in one month, though the first time around, security managed to keep one suspect on the scene for police to apprehend.

Last week BELL store, Centerpoint mall
Today Azade jewellery, hillcrest mall
What’s next?

— همیشه امیدوار (@ahopefulalireza) January 7, 2024

Other non-jewellery retailers in local malls have also been attacked in recent memory, making the public feel even less safe carrying on daily activities like shopping.