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ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) - An employee who was working the Quik Trip that was looted and burned told a terrifying story of survival. The 18 year old man didn't want to be identified but he did say, "Terrifying very, very, terrifying. Madden says: tell me what was going through your mind. Worker: I thought I was going to die tonight, I really thought I was going to die tonight.

His mother added, "I'm very thankful that he's alright."

The worker said he was at the register when the looters rushed the store. He and his two fellow workers locked themselves in a back room. One signaled the company's alarm system. They got a phone call telling them to stay put, that the police were on the way. But after ten or twenty minutes they decided it was best to escape, fortunately before the fire started.

The workers said, "One of the employees said we can get a way out of here and so we grabbed jackets to cover our uniform and we ran out of there, out the back door."

He said when he got outside he could see the looters keeping police at bay. He was glad he did not stay put and he was told to do, "If we would have stayed put we would have died."

Nearby homeowners were also scared. Deanel Trout doesn't live far away, "We loaded our weapons we didn't know what was going to happen it was total chaos last night."

Leonette Hiliard posted a sign apologizing for the destruction asking that Quik Trip reopen. Hilliard said, "We're angry what happened to Michael Brown we want justice for him we want an investigation but we know this isn't going to solve anything this isn't going to represent who Michael was and our values as a community."

The QT worker said he thought Ferguson was a nice place. He said, "I thought it was peaceful until last night, everybody pretty much flipped out."

People who live in Ferguson insisted that the looting and fire were caused by outsiders taking advantage of a tragic situation.

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The rioting began around 8:30 p.m. Sunday night after a peaceful rally for unarmed teenager Michael Brown who was shot and killed by police in a north county apartment complex.

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Painted on Quik Trip pic.twitter.com/nMMeZDE06K — Roche Madden (@RocheMaddenTV) August 11, 2014

Sign post on qt by citizen pic.twitter.com/NuAExASQ4S — Roche Madden (@RocheMaddenTV) August 11, 2014

ATM from QT pic.twitter.com/lOEsQZDiHI — Roche Madden (@RocheMaddenTV) August 11, 2014

QT in light of day pic.twitter.com/DylVFZcDnY — Roche Madden (@RocheMaddenTV) August 11, 2014

ATM from QT pic.twitter.com/aonYgsLrQi — Roche Madden (@RocheMaddenTV) August 11, 2014