Stores closed and shoppers fled the Tysons Corner Center mall Sunday afternoon after police said the crash of a falling light fixture — while officers investigate a possible theft — was mistaken for gunshots.
No evidence of gunfire or injuries was found, police said, but the incident was enough to cause panic in the sprawling mall, a little more than a month after shots were fired at the mall during a fight in June.
Police received a report of shots fired in Tysons at 2:49 p.m. and began clearing the mall, Fairfax County Police Second Lt. Jason Chandler said. As of 3:40 p.m., the mall was clear and there were no reports of threats. The mall was never on lockdown, Chandler said, but some stores were closed.
Prior to the report of shots fired, Chandler said police responded to a possible burglary at the mall near the glass elevator. A light fixture fell “into the general area” of the police operation, causing a loud sound, Chandler said, which officials say led to the panic at the mall.
A video posted on Twitter showed police officers taking several people away from the mall in handcuffs after reports of shots fired. Chandler said there were no suspects in custody in response to the reports, but he was not sure if any individuals had been detained in the earlier response to a possible theft.
Other videos posted on social media showed dozens of customers running from the mall. Tysons was promoting a tax-free weekend with discounted clothing and school supplies, according to the mall’s website.
In mid-June, shots were fired at Tysons after a brawl that shut down the mall and caused panic as customers fled or hid inside stores. A boy was fatally shot at a Moechella concert in Northwest Washington that same weekend, and the week before, three people were shot after an argument at a mall in Prince George’s County.
The incidents came amid a string of high-profile mass shootings across the country from Buffalo to Uvalde, Texas. As a result of the killings, some residents of D.C. and Virginia told The Washington Post they have become more sensitive to the risk of gun violence, or are hesitant to return to large gatherings.
Studies in 2019 and 2018 by the American Psychological Association and the Pew Research Center, conducted after high-profile mass shootings, found that across the country, news of gun violence similarly exacerbated respondents’ fears and stress levels.
This developing story has been updated.
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