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Teens Robbed At Gunpoint At The Movies Speak About Their Experience

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Kelsy Zyvoloski and Katie Pepin
RALEIGH, N.C. — A Raleigh theater has added an off-duty police officer to increase security during the weeknights after five teenage girls were robbed at gunpoint earlier in the week. Meanwhile, the victims are speaking out to let others know they should not take their safety for granted.

Police said the teens were leaving Carmike Cinemas on Atlantic Springs Road Monday at about 10:45 p.m. when two men pulled out a gun and robbed them at gunpoint.

"I remember just looking at the gun and thinking, 'Please don't shoot,'" said one of the victims, Kelsy Zyvoloski. "I just didn't want anyone to get shot or the gun to go off or anything. That's all I remember thinking."

Three of the girls, who just graduated from Wakefield High School, said they never expected to be the victims of this kind of crime.

"We didn't think we had anything to worry about," said Sarah Nicholls. "There were five of us -- I would never go there by myself. I thought that we would be OK."

"My husband says we're going to be re-thinking where everyone's going," said Karen Pepin, one of the victim's mothers. "We've had some serious discussions about personal safety."

The girls said the incident will definitely make them think more about safety.

"I've kind of come to terms with it," said Katie Pepin. "I'm not angry because you never know why someone will go after your money. Maybe they're in a rough spot in their lives or something like that. I guess it's a new perspective, a life lesson for us all."

Police are looking for two young, black men; one was wearing a red bandana over his face and the other was wearing a royal blue velour jacket with red and white stripes on the wristbands.

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