Panicked Christmas Shoppers Flee Aventura Mall Amid 'Active Shooter' Reports

Panicked Christmas shoppers fled from the Aventura Mall in Florida on Saturday, December 23, after police were called to investigate reports of an active shooter.

This video taken by onlooker Jet Veloso shows the moment people fled the mall at 8pm. Other shoppers were forced to shelter inside shops while police investigated.

Police declared the area safe 30 minutes after, finding no evidence of an active shooter, the Sun Sentinel reported. A spokesman for Aventura Police tweeted: “Aventura Police has determined that a shooting DID NOT take place at Aventura Mall. The scene is secure but traffic in the area is heavy.”

Some shoppers initially reported hearing gunshots during the chaos but there were no eyewitnesses to any shooting, the Miami Herald reported. Credit: Instagram/Jet Veloso via Storyful