Eastridge Mall: Rumored Shooting in San Jose Shopping Center Was Actually a Jewelry Store Robbery

Eastridge Mall: Rumored Shooting in San Jose Shopping Center Was Actually a Jewelry Store Robbery
Jack Phillips
12/23/2013
Updated:
7/18/2015

There were rumors of shots fired at the Eastridge Shopping Center mall in San Jose, California, on Monday night, but later reports said it was a jewelry store robbery and there were no gunshots. There were also unconfirmed reports that the mall was placed on lockdown and was evacuated before it was reopened.

KTVU reported that Valliani Jewelers employees said there was a robbery at the store inside the mall, and no shots were fired. ABC also later reported that there were no shots fired and police are now investigating surveillance footage. 

The mall was reopened a short while later, said ABC. Before that, employees at the mall told KTVU that an evacuation and lockdown was initiated.

ABC broke the story at around 6:15 p.m. local time and first said that the incident was a shooting. It later wrote on Twitter that it was a “smash and grab” robbery at a jewelry store.

ABC reporter Dan Ashley said the sound of thieves breaking the glass may have been mistaken for gunfire, causing a lockdown.

On Twitter, some number of users originally claimed there was a shooting.

“Gunshot rumors scared the whole Eastridge Mall and I got quarantined at Macy’s. Turns out it was a jewelry robbery. Still scary,” wrote a user on Twitter. 

One person wrote that “people are fleeing the mall. Olive Garden locked the doors. Wtf.”

“There was a shooting at Eastridge. I was IN the mall when it happened. Thank God my mom and I are safe.” wrote another Twitter user.

It is unclear if there were any injuries.

Emergency crews are on the scene, ABC said.

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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