GREENDALE, Wis. — A carnival in the Southridge Mall parking lot was canceled Sunday after multiple police departments responded to the area Saturday night.
The Greendale Police responded in the area of Southridge Mall to various calls from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for reports of an armed robbery, a weapon complaint, a theft, fights in progress, disorderly conduct, and reports of shots fired.
Nine people were ultimately arrested by the end of the night.
TMJ4 crews saw Greendale, Greenfield, and Hales Corners police at and around the mall around 7 p.m.
One person, Skotty, was working inside the mall when the commotion started.
Watch: Witnesses describe chaos at Southridge Mall:
“All of a sudden, you hear screaming and people running towards you. A cop told us we needed to shut down,” Skotty recalled.
Cell phone video shared with TMJ4 shows dozens of people screaming and running through the food court.
The chaos spilled outside into the parking lots and streets.
TMJ4 cameras captured crowds rushing away from the mall area down 76th Street, and the crews saw one person arrested in a McDonald's parking lot.
“When I got in my car on the way home, there were kids everywhere. All over the streets,” Skotty said.
A carnival hosted by Southridge Mall was happening in the parking lot at the time.
It was supposed to be through Sunday, June 30, but mall officials posted an update on Facebook that it would be closed. They did not say why.
“I bet you that’s the reason everyone was over here,” Douglas said. He was at Southridge Sunday to shop with his family.
“I’m glad I didn’t bring my family out here. When you see Hales Corners and Greendale police, it’s weird," he said.
One certain thing is the fear felt by many, including Skotty.
“So many people experienced a genuine fear for their lives, like me. I was so, so scared,” Skotty said.
By the end of the night, nine individuals, including eight juveniles and one adult were arrested.
Four of the individuals arrested were related to the armed robbery where a “facsimile firearm was displayed”, one for theft, and four for disorderly conduct.
Officers also responded to the area of the shots fired call and found no evidence that a firearm was discharged.
It was determined that the report was likely the result of noises created when stores within Southridge Mall were closing their gates in response to the events taking place outside and large groups entering the mall.
Southridge Mall eventually decided to close early, as did the carnival management.
The four individuals arrested for armed robbery, all juveniles, were referred to the Milwaukee County Children’s Court Center for charges. All other individuals were cited and eventually released.
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