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Concord police in North Carolina were given reports of shots being fired inside Concord Mills mall Saturday evening, which caused a mall lockdown. According to one witness report, 300 people could be seen running inside the mall.
What happened?
The lockdown was lifted around 7:30 PM. Police later found no evidence that shots were fired and they did not find anyone with a gun or anyone with any injuries. The Concord police department released the following statement on social media:
“Concord Police is currently at Concord Mills after receiving reports of gunfire inside the mall. No shots have been fired, no one has been located with a gun, no one located with any type of injury.”
They later released the following update:
“Concord Mills Mall remains open for business. No injuries related to false reports of gunfire.”
According to The Charlotte Observer, during the lockdown, some shoppers were locked in stores while authorities investigated the scene. The evacuation of people inside the mall was also believed to have backed up traffic in the area.
Police, as well as KP, were seen in large numbers inside the mall. Fire officials were stationed alongside with officers.
What were witnesses saying?
According to WSOCTV, Cameron Carter, a mall employee, gave the following eyewitness account:
“I work at the kiosk closest to the food court and I saw 300 to 400 people running towards me…So at that point I just knew everybody needed to run.”
Kristy Presnell, a shopper who had been at the mall with her two small children, adding that she would be willing to take a bullet for them, made the following statement:
“Everybody was running, crying. There was people dragging their children, people were tipping and falling…I was trying to keep my kids on the opposite side of me where if there was any bullets coming I was going to make sure they would get me, not them.”