Boy's Shouts Of 'Shooter' Spark Ballston Panic: Police

ARLINGTON, VA — The Saturday night shooter panic at Ballston Quarter was apparently caused by a boy who walked into a movie theater and shouted that there was a shooter, police say.

Police were called to the mall at around 8:38 p.m. due to multiple emergency calls reporting a possible shooter inside the theater, and police immediately placed the theater under a shelter-in-place status while they searched the mall, according to a report from the Arlington County Police Department.

Police ultimately found no evidence of a shooting or any victims, other than one person who had a minor injury from trying to flee the building.

"The preliminary investigation suggests that an unknown juvenile male entered a theater playing the movie ‘IT Chapter Two’ and shouted that there was a shooter, causing patrons to run from the theater yelling for people to call 9-1-1," the report states. "As word of the incident spread, patrons from all areas of the Ballston Quarter began to self-evacuate."

Dozens of emergency vehicles could be seen surrounding the mall Saturday night.

Police say anyone who left property inside the mall can claim it by contacting individual businesses, although those who left property in the public food hall area will need to contact the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222.

Police are continuing to investigate, and are asking anyone with information to contact them.