Fights, disturbances shut down malls
across U.S.
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[December 27, 2016]
By Brendan O'Brien and Ian Simpson
(Reuters) - Fights, disturbances and false
reports of gunfire caused chaotic scenes and shut down several malls
across the United States on Monday during the typically busy
post-Christmas shopping day.
Eight to 10 people suffered minor injuries during a melee in the food
court at The Mills at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the mayor
there said on Twitter.
Panic followed when someone shouted "gun," after a chair hit the ground,
causing a loud noise in the mall's food court, Elizabeth Mayor Chris
Bollwage tweeted.
Photos and video clips posted on social media showed heavily armed
police officers responding to the incident as shoppers raced to exits
and alarms rang out inside the mall.
Similar disturbances unfolded across the United States on Monday at
malls that were packed with shoppers returning gifts, using gift cards
they received over the holiday weekend and searching for clearance
deals.
Many involved calls of shots being fired and youths fighting. It was
unclear if the incidents were connected.
A large fight between teenagers broke out in the food court at the Cross
Creek Mall in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Police fielded several
unconfirmed reports of shots fired, said a Facebook post by the
Fayetteville Police Department, which also said the mall was evacuated.
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The Hulen Mall in Fort Worth, Texas, was on lockdown, Fort Worth police
said on Twitter. The CBS website there reported that police said
officers responded to reports of gunshots but arrived to find that
several fights had broken out involving 100-150 people. There were no
injuries, police said.
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At least one fight shut down the Fox Valley Mall in Aurora,
Illinois, late on Monday, and police were called to quell the
disturbance, the Chicago Daily Herald reported, citing managers of
businesses in the building.
Online videos showed uniformed personnel directing mall patrons out
of the building and customers fleeing down an escalator. Police and
mall management could not be reached for comment.
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The Town Center Aurora in Aurora, Colorado, was also closed early
after multiple skirmishes were reported inside the mall, the Aurora
Police Department said on Twitter.
In Monroeville, Pennsylvania, police arrested four youths after
fights broke out at the Monroeville Mall, the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette reported.
Police put the Arizona Mills mall in Tempe, Arizona, on lockdown
after reports of shots fired inside the shopping center. Two people,
including a juvenile, were arrested after two fights broke out at
the mall, an ABC affiliate reported.
Police arrested one juvenile at the Beachwood Place mall in
Beachwood, Ohio, where a large disturbance occurred, an ABC
affiliate in Cleveland reported.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Ian Simpson in
Washington, D.C.; Editing by Paul Tait)
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