Dallas authorities state worried consumers hurried out of Dallas shopping center on Memorial Day after a male banged a skateboard on the ground in the food court and made hand gestures as if he was shooting
DALLAS — Panicked consumers hurried out of Dallas shopping center on Memorial Day after a male banged a skateboard on the ground in the food court and made hand gestures as if he was shooting, authorities stated.
“That sound obviously caused a panic,” Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said. “When the crowd started running the individual focused on that and then began doing hand gestures as if he was shooting into the the crowd, which then further escalated the situation.”
Garcia stated authorities got a call at 1:27 p.m. Monday reporting an active shooter at NorthPark Center.
He stated that within 3 minutes, off-duty officers at the shopping center had actually challenged the male. On-responsibility officers reacted a minute later on.
“When officers were arriving, obviously there was chaos throughout the building,” Garcia stated.
Police stated that the male was apprehended and carried to a location medical facility for a medical examination. Garcia stated the male did not have a weapon.
Video taken inside the shopping center revealed consumers hurrying for exits while an alarm roared.
Garcia stated the occurrence might have led to individuals being squashed, however he didn’t blame those who reported what they heard as a shooting because “there’s a lot of trauma” in the nation.