Robbery investigation sparked social media rumors of gunfire at Tysons Corner Center

(Updated at 10:25 a.m. on 12/20/2022) Contrary to some reports on Twitter, there were no gunshots at Tysons Corner Center last night, Fairfax County police confirmed.

Officers with the Tysons Urban Team did take two people into custody at the mall as part of an investigation into a robbery in Arlington County, the department said.

The FCPD said that it was working with the Arlington Police Department on the case and had located three suspects at Tysons Corner Center. Two of the suspects were taken into custody, and a firearm was recovered, but no shots were fired.

“The investigation continues. One suspect outstanding. No outstanding threat to the mall or community,” police said.

A handful of tweets from around 8 p.m. yesterday say that “everyone” in the mall started running, mentioning a possible active shooter and stores going into lockdown.

According to the Washington Post, the robbery suspects ran when officers arrived, which may have triggered a fire alarm, but no evacuation was ordered. Neither of the suspects was holding a gun when they were detained.

The FCPD didn’t immediately respond to FFXnow’s inquiry seeking to confirm the Post’s reporting.

Gun-related anxieties have been high at Tysons Corner Center since three shots were fired on June 18, triggered a panicked evacuation. The suspect in that incident was indicted in September.

The mall was also evacuated on Aug. 7 after the sound of a light fixture shattering was mistaken for gunfire.

“At Tysons Corner Center we put the safety of our retailers and shoppers at the center of everything we do,” Jesse Benites, the mall’s general manager said in a statement. “Through our robust security program, we work closely with our partners in law enforcement and are continually evaluating and adjusting our plans to address specific issues. We know Tysons Corner Center is the heart of the community and we want all who work here and visit to enjoy their experience.”

Tonight, our TUT officers located three suspects involved in a robbery in Arlington. No shots were fired. Two suspects taken into custody and a firearm was recovered. The investigation continues. One suspect outstanding. No outstanding threat to the mall or community.

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 19, 2022

was inside Tysons Corner and saw a crowd running towards the exit, so told my husband that we should just leave. as we exit the garage, they announced to evacuate the mall immediately. we saw this outside Macy’s. don’t know what’s happening but stay safe! pic.twitter.com/t4ZKdZGTGg

— marj (@marjanneco) December 19, 2022