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TUKWILA, Washington – Police officers stormed Southcenter Mall in Tukwila on Saturday night after a large group of teenagers and young adults ran to the exits, causing fears of gunfire or other dangerous event.
No shots were fired and no one was injured.
Instead, Tukwila police investigate whether a self-proclaimed YouTube star for teens is responsible for inviting the teenage crowd to create chaos.
The detectives think that YouTuber has invited his supporters to the mall on social media. The rush of teens that ensued created a sense of panic.
"A large group escaped through the door at the same time, alarming passers-by and employees," Tukwila police wrote on Facebook. "The group is dispersed."
Some stores closed when they saw the large group of children running, police said.
"A large group of people started screaming at us and trying to get out of the mall, so we ran with them and stayed in front of the restaurant and waited to see what was going on," said Bryce West. "There were a lot of people outside who said they saw someone pulling a firearm, there were a lot of people who said that they heard someone pulling a firearm out, but people reacted as if there was a gun threat. "
Worse, some parents were on the Tukwila police Facebook page, claiming that some of the children were shouting that there was a gunman. Police in Tukwila responded to a message, "Yes, children have panicked, which is why we had an important police presence until we could understand what was going on."
Police said the YouTuber did not have a permit for an event or asked permission from the mall. If the investigators determine that the panic was intentionally provoked, charges may be laid.
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