Panic erupts as man runs through mall falsely yelling ‘he has a gun,’ California cops say

A man who dashed through an Ontario shopping mall shouting false warnings about a gunman incited a “mass panic,” California police reported.

Officers responding to reports of an active shooter at the Ontario Mills mall found no gun and no sign of gunshots Monday, May 29, police said on Twitter.

“We will continue to investigate the false claims and hold those persons accountable,” police said.

A man dashing through the mall shouting “gun” and “he has a gun” caused shoppers to panic, police said in a news release.

Police released a photo and description of the hoaxer. They ask anyone with information to contact detective Joe Paterson at 909-408-1653 or JPaterson@ontariopolice.org.

Ontario is a city of 180,000 people about 40 miles east of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published May 31, 2023 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Panic erupts as man runs through mall falsely yelling ‘he has a gun,’ California cops say."