Scary moment today in Dallas, as folks visiting a mall on Memorial Day were swiftly evacuated after cops say witnesses reported hearing several gunshots ... that turned out to be someone banging a skateboard.
Videos of the mayhem show shoppers running out of the NorthPark Center or taking cover inside around 1:30 PM local time ... as alarm sirens blare all over the facility.
North Park Mall Shooting #northparkmall pic.twitter.com/efsxIwVpGa
— Eric Brown (@Frank_Lyons2) May 31, 2021
The frenzy resulted in several 911 calls ... so many that the line was busy.
Thankfully, Dallas police say there was never an active shooter at the mall, but rather a "mentally disturbed" person who was banging a skateboard ... which sounded like gunshots. Cops say the individual also made hand gestures as if he was shooting a gun, presumably setting off the panic and chaos.
Initially, cops were calling it a "shooting incident" and said they had someone in custody ... but later clarified there were no shots and no injuries.
Of course, the hysteria is understandable in America ... where deadly mass shootings continue to occur at an alarming rate in 2021.
False alarm or not -- the terror is real.