User blog comment:ChishioKunrin/The Schnee Dust Company's treatment of Faunus workers/@comment-25368963-20150118051529/@comment-25857155-20150118131015

Much as I would also like to believe the citizens were already dead, I do not think they were. As good as, aye, but not dead yet. More likely they had to shut the door before they could evac everyone to keep the grimm from getting in too.