On Sunday afternoon, police responded to the sprawling Sweetwater shopping center after reports of gunfire sent hordes of customers fleeing. Dozens of panicked people ran away from the mall following reports of an alleged shooting, but the Miami-Dade Police Department later determined that the chaos simply stemmed from an "altercation" at the property.
Detectives who responded to the scene say they found no evidence of gunfire, and nobody was injured.
"After further investigation, no evidence was found to corroborate such reports," the City of Sweetwater wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "The mall has been deemed safe."
Although the popular social media account Only In Dade (@onlyindade) quickly suggested in an Instagram post to their 1.5 million followers that the incident Sunday was actually cover for a massive robbery operation at the mall, police say they have yet to find evidence to substantiate the claim.
"In reference to the reports of the theft scheme, we do not have that information," Sweetwater police spokesperson Jonathan Arche tells New Times. "But if people do have that information, we are more than welcome to listen."
Only In Dade said in a statement provided to New Times that it stands by its post.
"We have a firm commitment to our community. We reported based on several tips we received suggesting that what took place was organized with the intent to pull-off a large-scale robbery. To our knowledge, no arrests were reported, and no gun found at the scene," an Only In Dade spokesperson said. "Many of our followers also suggest that those involved were allegedly part of a gang that is known for such acts. We take our platform seriously and stand by the information communicated by the citizens of Miami- Dade."
In an April 7 Instagram post, Only In Dade wrote that "several credible sources" informed their team that the incident was "allegedly orchestrated by a massive organized crime ring to execute a large-scale robbery."
"Each incident that occurred was reportedly well thought out and planned, from the argument to a mob of people running, all of whom are believed to be involved," the post reads. "Once these events began to unfold, our sources suggest that others involved allegedly entered stores and fled with items in a 'panic' induced by the perceived chaos."
As of Tuesday, the post has received more than 12,000 likes.
Over the years, Dolphin Mall has repeatedly been plagued by false shooting reports.
- In August 2017, the mall was evacuated after reports of an active-shooting situation, which appeared to have been unfounded. Police found no injuries, shooter, or bullets on the scene.
- In April 2018, police temporarily locked down the mall after rumors of shots fired. It was later determined that people might have been spooked after mistaking a loud noise for gunfire.
- In November 2022, false reports of an active shooter once again sparked panic among shoppers who fled the mall en masse. Sweetwater Police later said that while they received several 911 calls reporting a shooter, they determined that no shots had been fired.
