Police say a large fight between multiple people, not gunshots, triggered a panic inside a Delaware mall that sent patrons fleeing for the exits Friday night.
During the fight inside Christiana Mall, a glass container broke and a metal sign fell to the floor, which immediately sent employees and shoppers running in all directions, the Delaware State Police said.
Officers who were already assigned to security at the mall immediately evacuated the building and diverted traffic away from the area.
Officers searched the mall and the surrounding area but found no evidence of any weapons or shooting, the DSP said.
Multiple people reported minor injuries during the stampede.
A triage area was set up for injuries that occurred to shoppers who fled the mall. One witness, Haley Quickel, of Middletown, who was inside the mall's Target at the time of the initial incident, said the chaos spilled into the parking lot.
"Mostly, there was a lot of people crying and saying they left all their stuff inside," Quickel said. "Everyone was just trying to get out and into their cars, honking horns."
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The mall had reopened by Saturday morning and was set to operate during its regularly scheduled holiday hours.
