Hundreds flee North Carolina mall after reports of shooting
RALEIGH, NC -- Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh was placed on lockdown Saturday afternoon after police responded to reports of a shooting. Officers said they responded around 2:30 p.m.
Federal authorities are at the scene and ATF officials were seen in the crowd. Our crew at the scene said police announced the the crowd shortly after 4:30 p.m. that no one had been shot in the mall.
WATCH: Loud 'bang' captured on video
Multiple eyewitnesses said there was a shooting in the food court of the mall.
Antonio Richardson, the owner of Casanova, a clothing store in the mall, says he was standing at the entrance to his store Saturday afternoon when he saw two men who appeared to be in their early 20s arguing in the food court.
He says he saw one of them pull out a gun and begin shooting. As he was running away, he says he heard as many as four shots in all.
PHOTOS: Crabtree Valley Mall after reports of shots fired
ABC11 talked to Mark Rush, an eyewitness who said he was only 10 or 15 feet from the incident. He said he heard about 5 or 6 shots as he was walking out of a cell phone accessory store. He said he was with his family and that "it was probably the scariest thing he went through in his life." He grabbed his stroller and his family and ran out of the mall as soon as it happened.
WATCH: Eyewitness describes huge crowds of people leaving mall
Other eyewitnesses said they had to run out of the mall as well. ABC11 spoke to a woman who was in the food court when the shooting happened. She said they heard "something pop" and then "pandemonium broke out." She said people were running over tables and chairs to get out of the mall.
WATCH: Elaina Athens give live report from Crabtree Valley Mall
The eyewitness in the food court said she "played dead" with her kids and then someone urged her to get out.
Police said no suspects have been arrested and they have not found anyone with gunshot wounds.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
