There was no evidence of gunfire or injuries, police said, but the incident was enough to cause panic at the massive mall, a little more than a month after shots were fired at the mall during a fight in June. Police received a report of shots fired inside Tysons at 2:49 p.m. and began clearing the mall, Fairfax County police Lt. Jason Chandler said. At approximately 3:40 p.m., the mall was cleared and no threats were reported. The mall never went into lockdown, Chandler said, but some stores were closed. Prior to the report of shots fired, Chandler said police responded to a possible theft at the mall near the glass elevator. A light fixture fell “in the general area” of police activity, causing a loud bang, Chandler said, which they believe caused panic in the mall. A video posted on Twitter shows officers leading several people away from the mall in handcuffs after reports of the shooting. Chandler said no suspects were arrested in response to the reports, but it was uncertain if people had been taken into custody in the previous response to a possible theft. Other videos posted on social media showed dozens of customers leaving the mall. Tysons was promoting a tax-free weekend with discounted clothing and school supplies, according to the mall’s website. In mid-June, shots were fired in Tysons after an altercation, shutting down the mall and causing panic as customers fled or hid in stores. A boy was fatally shot at a Moechella concert in northwest Washington that same weekend, and the week before, three people were shot after an altercation at a mall in Prince George’s County. The incidents came amid a string of high-profile mass shootings across the country from Buffalo to Uvalde, Texas. After the killings, some residents of DC and Virginia told the Washington Post they would become more sensitive to the risk of gun violence, or are hesitant to return to large gatherings. Studies in 2019 and 2018 by the American Psychological Association and the Pew Research Center conducted after high-profile mass shootings found that, across the country, news of gun violence similarly exacerbated respondents’ fears and anxiety levels. This development story has been updated.