Michigan mall robbery causes panic evacuation amid fears of ‘active shooter’ (VIDEOS)
A smash-and-grab robbery at a mall in Novi, Michigan was initially thought to have involved a shooting, causing chaos and panic among Saturday shoppers.
Multiple eyewitnesses at Twelve Oaks Mall reported hearing gunshots, prompting fears of an active shooter situation.
SHOOTING IN 12 OAKS pic.twitter.com/0ivs9ZhpKR
— nnck_0rzel (@Nnck_0rzel) August 20, 2016
At 12 oaks and the buildings evacuated, ton of cops roll in with assualt rifles, sick..
— Drewie (@Drew_Thompson15) August 20, 2016
Videos of panicked shoppers fleeing the mall and a heavy presence of law enforcement were posted online.
Wow never have experienced a robbery at the mall until now. Shots were fired and 1 hit a guy. Blessed for my life pic.twitter.com/Go3wSg4c7N
— Jill Jankowski (@jankowski77) August 20, 2016
You can see law enforcement struggling to break through traffic at 12 Oaks. @FOX2Newspic.twitter.com/txLpMPzjm4
— Kam (@kamdunb) August 20, 2016
However, it is now believed that three males smashed a jewelry store stand with a hammer, triggering a noise that sounded like gunfire, before making off with an unknown number of items.
UPDATE-THERE IS NO ACTIVE SHOOTER at Twelve Oaks Mall. We're investigating a smash & grab robbery at Tapper's Jewelry. Mall is on lockdown.
— David Molloy (@ChiefMolloy) August 20, 2016
Glass is shattered inside Tapper's jewelry store at Twelve Oaks Mall. via @FOX2Hannahpic.twitter.com/K3tKjRx5Tm
— FOX 2 Detroit (@FOX2News) August 20, 2016
Police say that no shots were fired, but it is not yet known if the robbers were armed, according to Detroit Free Press.
Novi PD personnel & assisting agencies continue to search @twelveoaksmall for two of the robbery suspects. Again, NO Active Shooter.
— David Molloy (@ChiefMolloy) August 20, 2016
The mall remains on lockdown and as of 7pm police are still searching the building for two of the suspects.
