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State Police says fight, not gunfire, led to Christiana Mall evacuation

Courtesy of the Delaware State Police

The incident that forced holiday shoppers to evacuate Christiana Mall Friday night did not involve a shooting, according to Delaware State Police.

State police said Saturday morning their investigation determined a fight caused the panic that prompted people into running from the mall or hiding in stores.

Reports of shots came shortly before 9 p.m, but police say they found no evidence of any weapons being present or discharged.

Police have determined there was a large fight, and during that incident a glass container broke and a metal sign fell to the floor.  They believe that is what prompted people to run from the mall.

The mall was evacuated and traffic around the facility was diverted Friday night as police responded and secured the mall. 

State police note people have reported various minor injuries that occurred while fleeing the mall.

The Christiana Mall is open Saturday for its regularly scheduled holiday hours.

Tom Byrne has been a fixture covering news in Delaware for three decades. He joined Delaware Public Media in 2010 as our first news director and has guided the news team ever since. When he's not covering the news, he can be found reading history or pursuing his love of all things athletic.