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Syracuse Mall Lockdown Over ‘Weapon’ — It Was Actually a Samurai-Style Umbrella

Suspicious Person with a Weapon Report at Destiny USA:

On Thursday, August 28th, around 3:22 p.m., Syracuse Police Officers responded to a report of a suspicious person with a weapon in the area of North Geddes Street and Spencer Street. The caller informed 911 that they observed a white male walking with what appeared to be an AR-15 looking weapon.

911 dispatchers then received a second call, around 3:43 p.m., from a person who observed a male matching the same description in the area of Hiawatha Street and Solar Street. This caller reported seeing the male “cock the gun and sling it on his shoulder.” Several Officers responded to the area and began to search for the suspect.

Drone units were activated and began to search the area. The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office was notified of the incident, and Air 1 was put on standby. Officers continued to search the area, which included the Creek Walk and Destiny USA.

Around 4:04 p.m., a detective who was working the Destiny USA Mall detail was reviewing camera footage and reported to Officers that he observed the suspect on an escalator. At this time, the mall was placed on lockdown. The detective continued to follow the man and reported that he was in the area of the 110 Grill, in the food court. During this chaotic time, dispatch received another call reporting that there was a shot fired in the canyon area. It was determined, very quickly, that this was not accurate, as there were multiple Officers in that area.

At 4:10 p.m., the male was detained, and it was determined that the supposed 'long gun' was actually an umbrella. The umbrella that was found had a samurai style handle, and was carried with a strap to be slung over one’s shoulder. It should be noted that this umbrella resembled a long gun, specifically the samurai handle, which looked like the barrel of a rifle.

Officers continued to clear the area and quickly rendered it safe. The male was transported to the Syracuse Police Department, Criminal Investigations Division, for further questioning, and the mall was reopened shortly after. The male was fully cooperative with detectives. After a thorough investigation, which involved reviewing video footage and speaking with witnesses, the male was released from custody and will not face charges in this incident.

Both the swift response of Officers to Destiny USA, as well as our presence on-site, led to the quick resolution of this incident. We are thankful for our continued partnership with mall ownership.

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