Fairfax County police say that there is no active shooter situation at this time, but the mall has been closed as they clear the area and investigate.
Panicked shoppers and employees fled Tysons Corner Center Saturday afternoon after shots were fired inside the mall.
Fairfax County police say that there is no active shooter situation at this time, but the mall has been closed as they clear the area and investigate.
Police advise people to avoid the area as they respond to the situation. There have been no reports of injuries.
According to initial reports from police, a fight had already broken out between a small group, when a man described as a Black male wearing a black hoodie and jeans brandished a firearm and discharged it.
As the shooting occurred, many employees and shoppers at Tysons locked up their shops and isolated in place when they heard the shooting and the mall’s emergency alarm system activated.
On Twitter, FCPD says there are no reports of an active shooter at this time, and that they are clearing the mall to ensure suspects are no longer present.
No reports of active shooter at this time. Officers are clearing the mall to ensure suspects are no longer present and assisting those sheltering in place. If you are sheltered, please stay in place until officers come to assist. https://t.co/jJG9n2MTF6
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) June 18, 2022
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein spoke to a witness who said he saw the shooting take place.
“We were walking in the mall, then on the opposite side, about four or five male adults… they were going pretty quick and they started to run. And they ran in front of us, cut through right in the middle, and they were there…” he said. “I heard a gunshot. I saw smoke coming out from the shot. My wife grabbed me and went inside to Brooks. And we were there for about a couple hours. ”
An employee at Kasi Wax at Tyson’s told Augenstein she was with a client when she got word of the shooting.
“So we just closed the doors and stayed put until we heard an update from the Fairfax police,” the employee said. “They told us to evacuate about 20 minutes ago. So we were waiting for security to walk us outside.”
As events unfolded Saturday afternoon, employees and shoppers fled the mall as gunshots were heard. Some of the initial panic was captured by users on Twitter.
Breaking: Video shows crowds of people evacuating Tyson’s Corner Mall in Virginia after unconfirmed reports of an active shooter.
— Faytuks News Δ (@Faytuks) June 18, 2022
After the Tysons was cleared, crowds remained outside to await updates from police and the status of others who had also been inside the mall.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTOP.com for the latest.
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