ROANOKE, Va. – On Friday, neighbors, shoppers and businesses in Grandin Village tried to return to their normal routines after Thursday’s manhunt for Michael Brown.
"It’s back to normal now, I guess,” said Scott Sisler, who lives on Tillett Road
“It’s been a lot calmer, quieter," said Erin Lloyd, another neighbor who lives on Tillett.
Thursday, police swarmed the Roanoke neighborhood where Michael Brown, the Marine wanted for allegedly murdering his mother’s boyfriend, was spotted tapping on his grandmother’s window.
“Everyone had their front lights on. You know, you could tell it was high alert just in case anything else happened,” Lloyd said about the chaos during the raids.
“I was afraid if I came out they might think I was him," Sisler said.
Locals said Grandin Village was like a ghost town during the manhunt with stores either closing early or locking their doors altogether.
“We didn’t want for our, you know, employees to be in any kind of danger," said Sarah Webber, the associate manager at Urban Gypsy in Grandin.
The Roanoke Co+Op closed earlier than normal.
“We closed up a little bit early yesterday to make sure our employees got home safe and our shoppers got home safe before dark,” said John Bryant, the marketing manager for the Co+Op.
Friday, it was business as usual in town and for shoppers like Rhonda McGlothlin.
“I know they’re doing all they can do. Just trying to be a little more vigilant and trying not to be too worried about it. Got things to do,” McGlothlin said.
Locals said that knowing Brown is still on the loose is still unsettling.
“I’m hoping that since he knows everyone in this neighborhood is on the lookout, I’m hoping it means he’s going to get as far away from here as possible and hopefully everybody else in the neighborhood can stay safe too,” Lloyd said.
“I think the best thing to do is go about your normal business and hope for the best," Sisler said.