Reports of an active shooter at the Ontario Mills Mall on Saturday evening turned out to be false, according to Chief Mike Lorenz of the Ontario Police Department.
The Ontario Fire Department tweeted just before 7:30 p.m. that there were unconfirmed “reports of gun shots in the mall,” adding that multiple people were “reporting they are sheltering in place. No report of any injuries as of yet.”
Less than 15 minutes after the Fire Department’s tweet, Lorenz said on Twitter that the reports were “false.”
“The mall is safe,” he added.
The Police Department cleared the mall and found no evidence of a shooter, the Fire Department added. People were still advised to avoid the mall while the first responders were on scene.
By about 8:15 p.m., police determined that the reports were “caused by unruly juveniles with no respect for peaceful shoppers,” Lorenz said.
“No shots were fired and no weapons were seen,” he added.