This story has been updated.
A 17-year-old male was arrested after shots were fired Friday afternoon in the front parking lot at Summit Mall, Fairlawn police said.
The Summit Emergency Communications Center received several 911 calls about the incident, police said in a news release.
The teen fled, but was caught after a short foot chase without further incident, police said.
The preliminary investigation shows the teen was involved in a dispute with another group of juveniles before he fired two shots into the air.
Officers recovered spent shell casings and the firearm at the scene.
No injuries were reported.
As a precaution, the mall was placed on lockdown while officers searched the property, police said. The mall was cleared and no additional threats were found.
Copley-Fairlawn school district announced May 8 that because of the proximity of Fort Island and Herberich primary schools to the mall, they were placed on a soft lockdown. Classroom instruction continued, but movement to and from the buildings was restricted.
All five school buildings and the transportation department stayed in contact with law enfocement to ensure students’ safety, the district said. Dismissal procedures, which the district did not describe, were adjusted because the incident was ongoing at dismissal time.
The news release says Fairlawn was assisted by law enforcement from Akron, Bath, Copley, Summit Metro Parks, Kent State University and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident remains under investigation and additional information will be released as it becomes available, the news release said.
The incident was first reported around 3 p.m. and by 4:15 p.m. all police had cleared the scene, a Beacon Journal reporter noted.
Several shoppers who were leaving the mall about 3:30 p.m. Friday said they heard one gunshot.
Police were diverting traffic away from the mall as police investigated the scene.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Teen is arrested after Summit Mall evacuated amid reports of shooting
Reporting by Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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