Reports of shots fired at Florida mall sparks panic, police response

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Reports of shots fired at a Florida mall on Sunday afternoon sent people running and a police tactical team to search the area.

Boca Raton police officers were called to the Boca Town Center Mall around 4 p.m. after shots were reportedly fired inside.

On Twitter, police said that it was not an active shooter situation and that they were conducting a search of the mall.

According to the Palm Beach Post, one person was shot in the area, but Boca police have yet to confirm the validity of the report.

One onlooker posted a video to Twitter, showing armed officers approaching the mall with their weapons drawn ready to investigate. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

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Hannah Morse, a reporter for The Palm Beach Post, posted a video of shoppers standing in the parking lot, following the mad dash to escape the area. She wrote that one of the men in the crowd was trampled and needed medical attention, as police donned bullet-proof vests to prepare for the raid.

Several witnesses told WSNV they heard what sounded like gunfire coming from the food court area, and immediately began to run. No one could provide an official account of what actually occurred.

Authorities have instructed bystanders to avoid the mall area until it is cleared and stipulated a specific zone for members of the media covering the story on the ground. The entire town center is now on lockdown.

Federal agents from Miami's Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) office are also en route to the scene to provide backup and assistance to local officers.

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The Boca Raton Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.

Boca Raton Police Chief, Daniel Alexander, held a press conference Sunday and announced that authorities discovered one male victim inside the mall, with a trauma wound that did not appear to be life-threatening.