Suspect sought after gun scare at Century City mall
LAPD releases photo of a man who is wanted on suspicion of arson and assault.
Los Angeles police are searching for a suspect in connection with an incident that triggered panic among shoppers and forced the evacuation of the Westfield Century City mall Friday after reports of a man with a gun and a suspicious package.
Police released a surveillance camera photo on social media of the suspect, described as 20 to 25 years old, 5 feet 8 to 5 feet 10 and 130 to 150 pounds. The man is wearing a blue and white sweatshirt with a white headband.
The LAPD tweet said the man is wanted on suspicion of arson and assault. “He is considered armed & dangerous. If seen, do not approach & call 911,” the post stated. Anyone with information can also call (213) 486-7260.
The mall was reopened Friday evening after police failed to find a gunman and determined that a suspicious package did not contain an explosive, police said.
Police responded to initial reports of a man with a gun inside the mall’s Amazon store about 12:40 p.m., Officer Jeff Lee said. Chaos broke out as some shoppers ran outside while others sheltered inside stores, some believing there was an active shooter in the mall.
“We are on lockdown sitting quietly waiting for more information,” said Giselle Abcarian, who was at the Zara store at the time. “We saw a bunch of people running and panicked, so we ran to the closest safe place.”
Some shoppers who were ordered to shelter in place were allowed to evacuate several hours later. Among those trapped in the mall was former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum.
“I’m in Los Angeles to film an interview with @billmaher tonight,” he tweeted. “Stopped by the mall to pick something up and a reported active shooter situation ensued. I’m currently in a secure location.”
Authorities later said that there was no evidence of a shooting or any victims and that the Los Angeles Police Department’s bomb squad determined that a suspicious package inside the Amazon store was not an explosive.
There were reports that the package may have been set on fire.
Initially, offices and businesses near the mall were placed on lockdown, including tenants of 1901 Avenue of the Stars, according to an email sent to tenants. Clementine Catering & Cafe, across the street from the mall, was one of the affected businesses, employee Katie Kelley said.
“We did have some mall employees and patrons come over because they couldn’t get into the mall,” she said.
An employee at the cafe called police, who instructed the staff to lock the doors. The business was on lockdown for about 30 minutes and given the OK to open about 2 p.m., Kelley said.
The mall is one of the most upscale retail centers in Los Angeles. It recently wrapped up a $1-billion renovation.