Juviniles who caused panic at Valley View Mall may face charges

Reports of gunshots were false at Valley View MallPhoto byWikipedia

There were no gunshots fired

On Saturday evening, a relative called to ask if my family were at Valley View Mall. She said her Facebook newsfeed indicated that people had been shot, there were casualties, and the mall was on lockdown. WDBJ7 reported there was an active shooter, a swarm of police, and stores on lockdown.

News 7 and WSLS later reported that there was no shooter; the noise came from juveniles banging on metal. It's not clear why anyone would report casualties when there were never shots fired, but thsi is the world we live in. Everything must be fact-checked, and we cannot go with the first narrative on stories as in the past.

Were the juveniles just pranking mall goers, or was their intent to simulate the sound of gunshots and watch the aftermath? RCPD is taking this seriously.

“In any crowded situation, anything you do that’s going to cause fear in the public is going to have consequences,” said Lt. Brian Kosko with the Roanoke Police Department. “We will investigate it and hold those accountable for those actions.”