Reports of shooting at Phoenix-area mall false, police give all-clear

Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe was given the all-clear by Tempe Police shortly after the shooting was reported. Police found no evidence of shots fired.

BY KTAR NEWSROOM

Dec 26, 2016, 5:50 PM Updated: Dec 27, 2016, 8:56 am

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Arizona Mills in Tempe is one of several area malls that expect to see more shoppers from Mexico if the border zone is extended statewide. (Photo: Alexa D'Angelo/Cronkite News)

(Photo: Alexa D'Angelo/Cronkite News)

PHOENIX — Shoppers at a Phoenix-area mall looking to take advantage of post-Christmas sales were shaken up Monday afternoon after reports of an active shooter came in.

Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe was given the all-clear by Tempe Police shortly after the shooting was reported. Police said they found no evidence of shots fired.

Police were called to the scene in response to a “disturbing” subject and possible shots being fired.

Lockdown and reports of shooting at Arizona Mills appear to be part of a hoax at malls nationwide pic.twitter.com/nPYhwveKey

— Jared Dillingham (@JaredDillingham) December 27, 2016

There were similar disturbances at malls around the country including in New York, New Jersey and North Carolina, where chaos erupted at a mall in Fayetteville and emergency medical personnel were called in to assist someone who had a medical episode while fleeing.

In Memphis, Tennessee, police arrested several people following fights at two malls there. No one was injured and no gunshots were fired, despite reports indicating otherwise.

“Somebody yelled ‘gun!’ and youths stampeded through the mall,” Deputy Chief Terry Landrum told The Commercial Appeal.

Police in Aurora, Colorado, near Denver, evacuated a mall due to multiple skirmishes.

In Aurora, Illinois, outside of Chicago, a mall there was temporarily shut down due to a large disturbance. Videos posted on Twitter showed mall security trying to get the situation under control.

No one was seriously injured in the mall melees, which, during the panic, also prompted numerous false reports of gunfire.

There was no official word on whether any of the fights, which were also reported in Texas, Indiana and Connecticut, were connected.