Reported shooting prompts large police presence at Monroeville Mall; no evidence shooting occurred, police say
MONROEVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) -- A large police presence was called to the Monroeville Mall on Sunday.
Initial reports indicated there was a shooting incident inside the mall, but police later confirmed there was no evidence of any gunshots fired inside the building.
Monroeville Police Chief Doug Cole said the initial call was for two people fighting with a gun involved. That caller later said it may have been a cellphone. Another caller then reported shots fired.
"I can tell you that people mistake gunshots many times in many situations," Chief Cole said. "It's a relief, certainly, I'm glad [a shooting] didn't occur."
"[The incident] continued to evolve that we could never find any physical evidence that a gunshot had even gone off in the mall," according to Chief Cole. "It appears at this time that this was totally a mistake, possibly, I don't want to call it a swatting call, because it really wasn't that. Someone called with, I think, concerned initial intent, that there was something of an altercation taking place."
It took the police an hour to clear all the hallways and stores.
"There were no shots fired. We have no physical evidence of shots being fired, and at this point, we cleared the mall," the chief added.
According to KDKA-TV's Ricky Sayer, a lockdown at the mall was lifted around 4 p.m.
UPDATE: Monroeville Mall told tenants “police were not able to confirm any gun shots occurred at the center,” according to an email sent to mall tenants that was shared with @KDKA.
— Ricky Sayer (@RickyReports) December 22, 2024
The lockdown is over and shoppers are being allowed back inside. https://t.co/au9O5G7avE
"We did treat one person here who had an asthma anxiety attack, and that's been it. We have no arrests. We have no evidence that there were any shots fired," Chief Cole added.
"We were just really scared. That's all. It was just chaotic, just craziness. The world is nuts," said Kim Rodriguez, who was inside the mall at the time of the police response.
"I'm just so relieved that... they didn't find any evidence, no bullet rounds, nothing was shot. No one was hurt. And not only that, but I'm just happy everyone's okay mentally, too," mall employee Asia Dixon said.
Shoppers were eventually allowed back into the building.
Chief Cole said they had not yet been able to look at the mall's surveillance video. He added that they plan to do that and follow up with the original 911 caller.