A large fight among a group of teenagers on Saturday night forced the Short Pump Town Center near Richmond to close early.
The popular open-air shopping destination includes Apple, Build a Bear, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lush, Lululemon, Macy’s and dozens of other stores and restaurants.
Nearly 100 teenagers were involved in the melee which began inside the mall at approximately 7 p.m.
The shopping center was scheduled to close at 8 p.m.
Police responded to the mall after gunshots were reported. However, the initial report turned out to be false, according to Henrico County Police.
No shots were fired, and no injuries have been reported.
One person was removed from the mall in handcuffs, according to multiple witnesses.
A shooting one week ago on March 7 in Virginia Beach prompted city leaders to issue an emergency curfew of 7 p.m. for unaccompanied minors throughout the oceanfront area. In that incident, shots were fired, and four innocent bystanders were injured. Three arrests have been made in the incident.
ICYMI
Violent crime is on the rise among teens in Virginia with juveniles making up approximately 10 percent of all violent crime arrests.
Anyone with information about the Short Pump incident is asked to call police at (804) 501-5000.
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Crystal Graham
