AUBURN HILLS (WWJ) - Guests and shoppers at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Oakland County were sent scrambling on Saturday evening as the mall initiated a lockdown over an unfolding situation.
The Auburn Hills Police Department provided an update to the incident, stating a report of an active shooter was made at shopping mall located at I-75 and 4000 Baldwin Road, but there is no confirmed gunman.
Deputy Chief Scott McGraw said via WDIV that officers were called to the Biggby Coffee located inside the food court at around 6:22 p.m. in response to a possible theft. The situation was fairly routine, McGraw added, but as police responded to the scene, a brawl broke out between juveniles in the food court.
The officers got involved, McGraw continued, and eventually had to use their tasers to subdue the fight and bring those involved into custody.
During the confusion, the deputy chief said someone yelled out "shots fired" from a crowd that was gathered nearby. The officers tried to bring the situation under control, but shoppers, diners and other guests reacted and began to run, seeking out cover and fleeing for the exits.
According to McGraw, the shopping mall sent out a mass alert that warned customers and employees to shelter in place or evacuate the building. The emergency notification along with the call for backup by the overwhelmed officers prompted a large scale response from multiple law enforcement agencies.
Police clearing out the 1.3 million sq ft building and thoroughly searched for evidence -- there were no reports of injures and no confirmed reports of shots fired.
McGraw said his department received numerous 911 calls about the unfolding situation at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, but detectives have not found any witnesses.
The deputy chief added that the two handcuffed minors involved in the fight fled the mall in the chaos. The pair has so far not been found by police.
Furthermore, depending on the bystander's intentions, McGraw said yelling “shots fired” could possibly bring on criminal charges, but he called on the public for help in their investigation.
Anyone with any information about the incident or the handcuffed individuals has been asked to contact the Auburn Hills Police Department at (248) 370-9444.
Witnesses told WWJ earlier that "something" was happening at the shopping mall when they saw people heading toward the exits.
Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, formerly known as Great Lakes Crossing, is Michigan's largest indoor outlet shopping center.
According to its website, it features more than 185 shops, restaurants and entertainment options, including manufacturer outlets, full-service restaurants, a 1,000-seat food court and a 25-screen, state-of-the-art theater megaplex featuring IMAX.
This is the second incident reported on Saturday at an Oakland County mall. Earlier, Nordstrom at Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi was evacuated over a bomb threat made over the phone just after noon on April 8.
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Novi Police Chief Erick Zinser told WWJ that they were at the scene for several hours conducting a search for devices or suspicious packages with the help of Michigan State Police K9 units, but they turned up empty-handed.
Zinser said the incident is believed to be isolated to Nordstrom and there is no threat to public. Police are working to identify the suspect who made the threat at this time.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ LIVE for the latest updates.