Shoppers, mall employees recount moments domestic argument caused widespread panic, mall lockdown

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A domestic argument inside the Chili’s at Opry Mills Mall is believed to have sparked a widespread panic and a lockdown on Saturday, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.

Police say what originally was called in as a shots fired report was unfounded, with officers finding no evidence of shots fired inside the mall, or any victims.

Nevertheless, shoppers and mall employees found themselves either running for the exits or for safety as people ran through the mall telling them to take shelter.

“People were running and there was just a lot of chaos,” Michelle Overcash said.

Overcash was inside the Abercrombie when she says a man came into the store telling everyone to shelter in place. Panicked, she, her friend and other shoppers inside headed for the back room to take cover.

“We had heard screaming and shouting,” Jalen Hurt said. “We had heard footsteps hauling towards the other way.”

At Zumiez, Jordan Byrd and Jalen Hurt were working a normal shift before they found themselves sheltering more than 20 people inside the store.

What a majority of mall shoppers and workers didn’t know was that rumors of an active shooter were unfounded, but that information wasn’t readily available inside the locked stores where they all found themselves.

All they knew was that there was some type of threat which triggered the mall’s code red response.

“We just didn’t know what to do,” Overcash recalled. “We were all just sitting back there kind of talking, and we could hear people from the other stores. There was a lady with a baby still in the dressing rooms, so a baby crying the entire time. There were kids, moms crying because they didn’t know what to do.”

With the threats of mass violence and instances of gun violence throughout the Metro area in recent weeks, Metro Police leaders believe situations like these can cause people to be on edge.

Nashville Fire Department officials tell us multiple people were treated on scene for minor injuries as a result of falling while running to get out of the mall.

No one was transported to the hospital.

MNPD say the man who was allegedly assaulted by his girlfriend inside the Chili’s where he works was located safe. There is no word on whether charges will be filed stemming from this incident.