NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Nassau County police are searching for a man who fired shots inside a Long Island mall on Monday, resulting in a lockdown, police said.
The incident happened around 11 a.m. when a man believed to have been shoplifting at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream got into an argument and struggle with a store security guard and he fired from his gun.
The shot went into the ground, according to police.
Police responded to a reported shooting incident shortly after 11 a.m., according to police.
No one was struck by the bullet and no injuries were reported as a result.
The mall immediately went into a lockdown, while schools in the area also went into a lockout as a precaution, police said.
The man then took off, running out the the south side of the mall and through the parking garage where he got into a red SUV.
He was last seen driving down nearby Mill Road.
The suspect ran off with no pants on and wearing just one sneaker, fleeing in his boxers after trying to strip off the clothing he was allegedly trying to steal, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told NBC New York.
The mall was cleared after being placed on lockdown, reopening for business around 1 p.m.
Police were searching for the suspect.
No arrests have yet been made.
An investigation is ongoing.