Dolphin Mall Evacuated Amid Reports Of Possible Gunshots

SWEETWATER, FL — Hundreds of shoppers could be heard screaming as they ran for the exits of Dolphin Mall on a busy Saturday night over the last weekend before the start of school in the Miami area. Police said the shoppers were yelling that they had heard gunshots. Some mall employees sheltered for hours along with frightened customers in stockrooms while rifle-wielding officers conducted a store-by-store search that failed to turn up the gunman.

The Dolphin is one of the most popular malls in the Miami area and was featuring live entertainment by a 70s and 80s band called Clockwork on Saturday night at Ramblas Plaza stage outside Entry 3 . The music was to last until midnight. It is common to see entire families dancing to live music and enjoying the movie theaters, restaurants and more than 240 retailers at the Dolphin on Saturday nights.

An elected official from the city of Sweetwater where the mall is located told a television news crew that the initial priority was to evacuate the mall, which is laid out in a race track fashion.

"The first instinct of officers is to get everybody out of the mall," Sweetwater Commissioner Marcos Villanueva told Local 10 news shortly after 11 p.m. "As of yet, thank God we have no victims."

Miami-Dade police finally issued an all clear shortly before 2 a.m. Police urged people to stay away from the mall during the incident and reported multiple road closures around the property.

Detective Argemis Colome of the Miami-Dade Police Department told Patch that a city of Sweetwater police officer called for assistance from the county at 9:07 p.m.

"The officer advised that there was a large crowd of people running toward the exits, screaming that shots were being fired," Colome said. "Resources from MDPD, along with neighboring police agencies immediately responded."

Colome said that police established a perimeter around the mall and initiated an evacuation."The MDPD Special Response Team and K-9 Unit conducted a thorough search of Dolphin Mall," Colome explained. "At the moment, no scene has been located, and no gunshot victims have been reported. Dolphin Mall will continue normal business operations."

At least one mall employee said on social media that he had been trapped in the store where he works for five hours while police swept the building.

The mall is located at 11401 NW 12th Street.

Some shoppers and mall employees took to social media as police swept the mall:

This is a developing story. Patch will provide additional details as they become available.