Woman goes to birthday dinner. Then a man follows her into the elevator of a parking garage: ‘I’m not going to my car. I’m here for you’

A Florida TikToker said a parking garage incident turned into one of the “scariest experiences she ever had as a woman.” According to her, a stranger followed her into an elevator and made a comment that immediately made her fear for her safety.

The video shared by Shannon Wilson (@therealshwilson) received more than 463,000 views and resonated with hundreds of women online.

What happened in the parking garage?

Wilson said she had just left a friend's birthday celebration. Her friends dropped her off at a parking garage to retrieve her car. Everything seemed normal. Someone even complimented her as she walked to the elevator doors. But as she stepped on the elevator, a man appeared and entered after her.

Wilson pressed the button for the third floor and cordially asked what floor the man's car was parked on. 

His response quickly changed the situation.

“I'm not going to my car, I'm here for you,” she recalled him saying.

Wilson was shaken by the comment but tried not to panic. Instead, she tried to act casual while waiting for the elevator doors to open.

When the elevator reached her floor, she noticed a group of younger people. She took the opportunity to seek some assistance.

She approached one of the individuals and explained what was happening. A young man agreed to not leave until she reached her vehicle. Having someone nearby gave her some relief as she walked to her car.

Wilson claimed she was still very concerned.

She said there was a possibility the man noticed the car she owned inside the garage. For her, the experience was frightening because she didn't know what the man's intentions were.

Why did some commenters believe she was overreacting?

Not everyone thought the encounter was necessarily dangerous. Some commenters argued that the man's comment could have meant something less sinister. They said he may have simply wanted her phone number.

Others suggested that she had assumed the worst without knowing what he intended to do.

Many commenters, however, seemingly understood why Wilson felt threatened.

“'I'm here for you' gave me the chills,” one commenter said. “Straight out of a horror movie. Sorry you had to go through that.”

Wilson replied, “The lump in my throat…. but my mind [was] telling me to stay calm.”

@therealshwilson Be so so careful #selfawareness #creep #women #storytime #awareness ♬ original sound – Shannon Wilson

Have women been attacked or abducted in parking lots?

Unfortunately, parking lot crimes are not merely hypothetical.

In 2022, Memphis police said a woman and her young child were abducted at gunpoint from a Target parking lot and forced to withdraw money from an ATM before being released. 

Similarly, in 2025, a woman in Florida was allegedly held in a headlock and forced toward a pickup truck in a business parking lot. The suspect was later arrested and charged with kidnapping, robbery, and other offenses.

But there are ways that women can feel safer while walking alone. ABC News, for instance, reported on “safety calls,” a new TikTok trend. Women who feel they are in a dangerous situation can log into TikTok and go to the profile of a safety caller. They can then watch a pre-recorded video of a mock FaceTime.

“On screen, a user sees text prompts that they can respond to as if they're actually on a call to potentially deter an intruder or attacker,” ABC News explains.

Wilson ultimately found someone willing to stay with her until she reached her car. For her, that small act of assistance helped her feel less alone.

Buzz News reached out to Wilson via TikTok direct message.