Shoppers flee Century City mall in LA amid reports of an active shooter just one day after the biggest ever mass shooting in New Zealand - but police find no evidence of shots fired
- LAPD officers responded to Westfield Century City Mall on Santa Monica Boulevard for reports of a gunman and a suspicious package
- Police tweeted they have no evidence of shots fired and no victims
- Shoppers were seen fleeing from the busy shopping center earlier
- A nearby high school was put on lockdown as a precaution
- Incident comes a day after deadly mass shooting at a mosque in New Zealand
Police in Los Angeles are responding to reports of an active shooter and a suspicious package at the Westfield Century City Mall, which comes a day after the worst mass shooting in the history of New Zealand.
The two-story outdoor shopping center located on Santa Monica Boulevard was put on lockdown this afternoon.
The LAPD tweeted just after 1pm local time Time that officers from the West LA Division responded to calls of an 'active shooter' at the mall at around 12.30pm.
'We have officers on scene who are clearing the location, but at this time we have NO evidence of a shooting or victims,' the tweet read.
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A large police presence is seen at the Westfield Century City in Los Angeles amid reports of an active shooter
Multiple police vehicles are pictured outside the shopping center on Santa Monica Boulevard
Shoppers are seen running out of the mall during a police response to reports of a gunman and a suspicious package
Fox LA reporter Leah Uko on the scene tweeted that eyewitnesses told her a man was seen lighting books on fire inside the Amazon store at the mall.
When he was told to stop, the suspect allegedly produced a gun.
Aerial footage showed a heavy police presence in the area, with multiple marked patrol vehicles parked outside the center.
Videos shot by bystanders and shared on social media depicted shoppers fleeing the shopping mall.
Beverly Hills High School, which is located less than a mile from the mall, was put on lockdown as a precaution.
The LAPD later sent out a follow-up tweet asking anyone still present at the Century City Mall to 'remain calm and shelter in place' until they receive instructions from officers on the scene who are in the process of clearing the shopping complex.
Officers are seen entering the building to begin clearing the shopping center
Officers in helmets are seen at the scene of the ongoing active shooting investigation in LA
Despite initial reports of a gunman, police later said they were responding to a suspicious package.
There was no evidence of shots fired and no reports of injuries.
The incident comes a day after a suspected white supremacist opened fired inside a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 49 people and injuring dozens more.
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