Woman pulls gun during argument at Five Guys in King of Prussia Mall's food court, police say

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (CBS) -- A day of shopping at King of Prussia mall turned into panic when a woman took out a gun in the food court area.

Upper Merion police say the woman who brandished her gun had done so after initially walking away from other women during an argument.

There was panic inside the King of Prussia Mall food court on Thursday afternoon. People were seen running after a woman pulled a gun at the Five Guys around 1 p.m.

"Almost the entire food court started running out," witness Corey Cohen said.

Cohen was at the food court. He says initially, an argument erupted between a woman wearing a white T-shirt and three other women at Five Guys.

"Just sort of heard someone shouting," Cohen said. "I found out that after, based on what they were telling the police, that it was just an argument over who was in line. One person thought the other person cut in line, wasn't in line. Very innocuous argument and it just turned into some shouting."

Police say after the argument, the woman in the white shirt walked away to wait for her food, but she was approached by two of the other women and the argument continued.

The single woman told police she was concerned she might be assaulted so she took out her gun and pointed it at the other women.

"Afterward, when she was telling the police after she was in handcuffs, she said that she felt threatened by these women and that she had seen a video that, if you feel threatened, to brandish your firearm, so that's what she did," Cohen said. "She said she felt threatened."

When police arrived, officers took the woman into custody and confiscated her gun. She was eventually released.

"It's just absurd that we've gotten to this point," Cohen said.

Investigators say the woman legally owns the gun and has a carry permit.

Officers added no one will be facing charges.

In:
• Gun Violence
• King of Prussia Mall
• Montgomery County