Stampede from Christiana Mall after reports of gunfire; police find no evidence of shooting
Shoppers stampeded out of Christiana Mall after reports of gunshots inside. Police said they found no evidence that shots were fired and no injuries were reported.
Police responding to reports of shots fired at Christiana Mall in Delaware on Friday evening, December 21 2018 (John Jankowski for WHYY)
Updated: 12:15 a.m.
Delaware State Police spokesman Master Cpl. Michael Austin said officers could not confirm that any shots were fired at the Christiana Mall, hours after the mall was evacuated Friday night after reports of gunshots.
“At this time, there are no injuries as a result of any type of shooting,” Austin told reporters at nearby Delaware Technical Community College. “There is also no physical evidence that a shooting took place. There is only the report of the hearing of shots fired.”
Police also received reports of a fight, but had found no evidence that one occurred, Austin said. There are no injuries reported.
Police were still scouring the mall for possible evidence. A staging area for families was set up at the nearby Costco store. Roads into the mall were closed except to people looking for family members and loved ones.
State police urged anyone with information about the incident to call Troop 2 at 302-834-2620.
The gunshots were reported just before 9 p.m. The mall was scheduled to stay open until 11 p.m. because of the busy Christmas shopping season.
Shoppers were on Twitter to report a sense of panic among those who heard the gunshots.
State police just said they have not found any evidence of a shooting at Christiana Mall but are investigating the reports of shots fired. Mall was evacuated amid a stampede on last shopping weekend before Christmas
— Cris Barrish (@CrisBarrish) December 22, 2018
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