Police issue 'all clear' following reports of gunshots fired in Miami mall

Police on Sunday night issued an "all clear" following reports of several gunshots being fired inside a mall in Miami early morning, the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) said on Twitter.

While mall-goers were informed the shopping complex would resume its "normal business operations", the MDPD said their "investigation continues".

"At the moment no scene has been located, and no gunshot victims have been reported. Dolphin Mall will continue normal business operations. The investigation continues," the police said.

Several people fled Dolphin Mall, located in Miami-Dade County, early Sunday morning resulting in the shopping centre being put on a lockdown as law enforcement agencies and emergency teams respond to the incident, sources had revealed.

At the time of the alleged shooting, people present in the mall at the time took to Twitter to inform others of what has transpired.

Reports suggested there was an active shooter in the shopping area at around 9 PM local time.

The MDPD at 8:20 AM PST (Sunday) tweeted confirmation of an "active scene" at the Dolphin Mall, asking people to steer clear of the area.

Nevertheless, MDPD said they were unable to confirm if there was any shooter or victims in the area.

A source disclosed earlier that Sweetwater Police officials don't believe there's an active shooter situation in the Dolphin Mall, but they are treating it as such.

The MDPD, almost an hour later, took over the ongoing Dolphin Mall investigation from the Sweetwater Police officials, who, along with those from the Florida Highway Patrol and the City of Doral Police Department, arrived shortly after the first report.

On the other hand, a video also surfaced that allegedly showed the panic-stricken visitors running through the mall amid the sound of firing in the background.

Witness account

Geo.tv was able to speak to a witness at the scene.

Alejandra Peña, 18, who is a resident of Miami, Florida, explained she "heard people screaming and running" when she, alongside her friends and family, was on the second floor.

"Everyone was running [but] I couldn't see the shooter," Peña recalled to Geo.tv via Twitter's direct messaging service. "I think there were multiple [shooters, but] police backed us away and made us hide by the theatres," she added.

The witness said considering it was early nighttime, there were a lot of visitors and shoppers in the mall. However, she was unable to comment on whether there were any casualties.

"There is still a large police presence inside and outside of the mall. if you can, avoid the area," Twitter user @FirstNewsHQ tweeted.

'Yelling, crying'

People "were like yelling, crying, it was very scary," Edward Nunez, a mall worker, told NBC Miami. "We saw the SWAT moving through the hallways and screaming like 'move, move, and 'get out, get out' and it was very scary."

Andrea Piccardo, another witness who was in the mall's movie theatre and spoke to Miami Herald, said she “figured it might be a shooter”, given how "people are running that fast”.

Dolphin Mall is the "largest outlet shopping center" in Florida's southeastern county, housing clothing stores, alongside dining and entertainment venues as well. According to its website, its opening hours on Saturday were 10 AM to 9:30 PM.

NOTE: The following video clips posted on social media have not been independently verified by Geo.tv

COVER IMAGE: Police officers swarm the Dolphin Mall following unconfirmed reports of an active shooter in the area on August 19, 2017. Miami Herald/C.M. Guerrero