Crime & Safety
Police Presence At Long Island Mall After False Gun Shot Reports
There was no indication of a shooting and no injuries, Suffolk police said.
LAKE GROVE, NY — A fight between teens that led to a trash can being knocked over — causing a loud noise — prompted several 911 calls of possible shots fired and a police presence at Smith Haven Mall on Monday, Suffolk police said.
Officers responded to Smith Haven Mall at 4:34 p.m. after multiple 911 callers reported possible shots fired, a police spokesperson said, adding that after a search by officers from multiple precincts and Emergency Service Section, "it was determined no shots were fired." Instead, a group of about 10 teenagers were involved in a fight and "a trash can was knocked over, causing a loud noise that was mistaken for a gun shot," police said.
The University Police Department had been made aware of a police incident at the Smith Haven Mall. @SCPDHq is on scene and investigating.please avoid the area.
— SBU Office of Enterprise Risk Management (@SBU_ERM) December 27, 2021
The Smith Haven Mall will be closed for at least the next hour due to police activity. Please stay away. Reports of a shooting there are false. There was no shooting.
— Smithtown Public Safety (@smithtowndps) December 27, 2021
UPDATE: THE MALL HAS BEEN REOPENED AS PER SUFFOLK POLICE AT THE SCENE.
— Stringer News (@Stringernews) December 27, 2021
No injuries were reported.
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Police worked with with mall security and conducted a store-by-store search of the mall, then the mall was re-opened, according to police. The investigation is ongoing, police said.
No further details were immediately released.
Find out what's happening in Smithtownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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