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Montebello Mall: Rumors of active shooter spark panic, man arrested as cops confirm 'no shots were fired'

'NO shots fired @ShopsMontebello!! A subject was detained and the investigation regarding a weapon continues. MPD is being assisted by @TEMLASD @lasdhq' police stated

MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA: Unconfirmed reports of an active shooter in a Montebello mall are being investigated by the police. Following the incident on Sunday, April 11, the crowds at the venue were driven to panic. The police have held one person in custody but they have confirmed there were no shootings involved or injuries reported. Plenty of witnesses have taken to Twitter to describe how people went into a frenzy and took shelter inside of the shops at the mall.

Most of the reactions to the alleged 'shooting' situation state how people locked themselves in stores, toilet cubicles or ran out of the mall when they heard what sounded like 'gunfire' in the building. Later, even the mall retweeted Montebello police department's information that 'no shots were fired'. 

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The official Twitter handle for Montebello police reported: "NO shots fired @ShopsMontebello!! A subject was detained and the investigation regarding a weapon continues. MPD is being assisted by @TEMLASD @lasdhq."

Even though there were no weapons involved or shots fired, the panic was not unnatural given how the Montebello Mall has seen a similar case roughly two years ago. A smash-and-grab robbery two years ago set off similar reactions among people, ABC7 reported. The Montebello Police Department further confirmed on their Facebook page: "Montebello PD received a call of a person possibly armed with a weapon at the Shops of Montebello. A subject was detained and the investigation regarding a weapon continues. MPD is being assisted by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Reports of shots fired at the mall were received, however, NO SHOTS were fired and there are no victims."

"Got a haircut at montebello mall and i wanted to shop a bit, only to run out of there after an emergency," one wrote, another shared: "Wow. Montebello mall has some activity going on we didn't know about till we got here. (reports of an active shooter)."

"Damn I was inside the Montebello mall when I just see a bunch of people running out. scariest shit of my life lol heard active shooter but no gun shots saying it was a smash and grab," another pointed out. "Folks are mad at people who were *actually in Montebello Mall* for assuming someone was shooting? I was in the grocery recently and they overfilled a mylar balloon. It was LOUD. You could feel the pause, the shift in the air in that second before we realized. America is wild," an eyewitness tweeted.

"Scary what’s happening at the Montebello mall but we really shouldn’t be so surprised? Anywhere you go now can end up in a situation like this and how messed up is that," a user commented.  Describing the panic one wrote: "We were eating at Hikari and everybody at Macy’s started running out the Montebello mall cause of an active shooter at Macy’s. Helicopters are circling the mall and cops are here." Another wrote: "I’m at the montebello mall can someone tell me what’s going on we’re locked in a restroom bcs we heard screaming."

This is a developing story, come back later for more updates.