HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Police are continuing to review security footage of the "teen takeover" event at Short Pump Town Center on Saturday night. As of Monday afternoon, police say they have not found evidence of illegal activity.
Several dozen middle to high school age children were at the mall in connection to a "takeover" event which was publicized on social media, police said.
"The division was not aware of the 'event' until after the 7 p.m. call for service. However, officers working off-duty and mall security during the early evening hours noted the increased presence of teens on the property," a Monday news release says.
During the initial call, police received reports of possible gunshots on the property, which prompted an increased police presence. The reports turned out to be false.
“Whenever we receive a report of shots fired, our officers respond immediately to assess the situation and identify any potential threat,” Henrico Police Chief Eric English said. “Our top priority that night was to ensure the safety of everyone on the property, including patrons and employees.”
At this time, no arrests or charges have been filed.
"From what we've seen thus far, there was nothing illegal that was taking place at the mall,” English said.
One fight did take place, according to police. Another teen was charged with shoplifting after an earlier incident at Dick's Sporting Goods, but that was not related to the event, according to English.
English asks the public to send any videos they believe the police should be aware of.
"We try to do our best to monitor social media,” English said. "If we do see something that we feel might have a chance to create some issues, we try to follow up and be prepared prior to the event taking place. If you see something suspicious, please contact us with those details.”
Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to call Henrico County Police at 804-501-5000, Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000, or submit the information through the P3Tips application on their mobile device. Information submitted through Crime Stoppers and the P3Tips application can be completed anonymously.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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