Fights, Chaos Reported at More Than a Dozen Malls Post-Christmas

Fights and false reports of shootings at more than a dozen malls across the country the day after Christmas caused chaos among shoppers and led to numerous arrests and at least some of the melees appeared to be organized on social media.

In Beachwood, Ohio, a fight "among a large group of people" drew a huge police presence and put the mall on lockdown for about an hour. On social media, some mall goers said shots were fired at the location, but police said this was unfounded.

Authorities said the disturbance was "loosely organized on social media." Similarly, police in Aurora, Colorado said in a statement that it is believed a social media post announcing a fight at the Town Center of Aurora drew a large crowd.

Almost a thousand miles away, police in Aurora, Illinois, made seven arrests after several fights broke out among teens at the Fox Valley Mall. Shoppers ran for the exits at the mall where witnesses say several fights broke out and people ran to join the scuffles.

Meanwhile in Connecticut, at the Buckland Hills Mall in Manchester, a large fight broke out among teens, closing the mall. As with similar incidents across the country, police were forced to call in mutual aid from surrounding towns to aid with the disturbance.

That was just one of three chaotic mall scenes that erupted in the tri-state area.

In Elizabeth, New Jersey, local authorities said pandemonium broke out when someone yelled that shots had been fired at The Mills at Jersey Gardens. A fight had broken out at the mall, and a chair that was thrown sounded like a gunshot when it landed, leading to the false reports of shots being fired. And in New York, at the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, a fight triggered a mad dash for the exits amid reports of a false shooting. The incident in New York came exactly a year to the date after a fight in the food court on Dec. 26, 2015, ignited rumors of a shooting.

Another chaotic scene at a mall in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was caused by someone setting off fireworks near the food court. Two other similar incidents were reported at malls in the state.

It is unclear whether the incidents were connected in any way or were premeditated. Some police officers responding to the fights were assaulted, but no serious injuries were reported.

Other fights broke out at malls in North Carolina, Indianapolis, Texas and Arizona.

This report will be updated.

Deb Belt, Dennis Robaugh, Chris Dehnel, Paige Austin, Ryan Bonner and Tom Davis contributed to this report.

Photo credit: Fox Valley Mall