GUILDERLAND: Hundreds of shoppers were rushed out of an upstate New York mall when reports spread about possible gunshots being fired near retail stores.
There were no immediate reports of injuries and no suspects in custody.
Law enforcement officials yesterday ordered an evacuation of the Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, about a dozen miles northeast of Albany, after police were alerted to one, or possibly two, shots being fired.
Police could not independently confirm those reports. Officers with assault rifles positioned around the mall were searching the property and checking security footage.
State Police Maj. Bill Keeler told the Albany Times-Union that reports that came in around 2.30 PM suggesting shots linked to a possible confrontation between two men who fled the scene.
"Right now we are in the process of evacuating the mall safely under our plan that we've drilled for before," Guilderland Police Chief Carol Lawlar told Time Warner Cable News Service.
"We have not come across a victim yet," Lawlar said. She said investigators were examining a video that showed a man in a white shirt and a black hoodie. Authorities did not have anyone in custody as of late afternoon.
Mall management is working with authorities, Lawlar said, "and hopefully we'll bring this to a successful conclusion."