Chloe Andrews from a locked up Kmart stock room. Photo / Instagram
Chloe Andrews from a locked up Kmart stock room. Photo / Instagram
A shopping mall in Adelaide was thrown in lockdown after a mass brawl involving up to 20 youths clutching extendable batons, and at least one wielding a machete, according to a Kiwi witness.
Shoppers at the Westfield Marion Shopping Centre were evacuated on Sunday afternoon.
News.com.au said South Australian police had asked the public to stay away from the area.
Video circulating on social media shows heavily armed SWAT officers storming the centre as shoppers either flee the mall or huddle down inside locked shops.
A Kiwi woman in the mall at the time of the incident has described being locked down for 1.5 hours after a group of about 20 young people were involved in a brawl in the food court after one person was threatened with a machete.
The woman said she took refuge in a San Churro store while the drama unfolded.
“The group of teenagers who were on the run caused issues during the lockdown and were screaming and knocking down stands, and banging on windows,” the woman said.
An alert inside the Westfield Marion mall in Adelaide. Photo / Supplied
“Two customers stepped in to restrain the teenagers until security and later police came to contain them.
“Once they were contained and were questioned, we were allowed to leave via the back door (over 1.5 hourrs later) but we had to walk around the mall the get to our car.
“Each exit had multiple police and police cars manning the doors.”
Chloe Andrews'photo posted on Instagram taken from a locked up Kmart stock room.
News.com.au said it was understood an armed person was spotted in the centre’s David Jones store.
In a statement at 5.15pm, South Australian police said they were investigating an incident at Westfield Marion Shopping Centre.
“Just before 3pm on Sunday 23 June, police received reports of two groups of young males fighting in the food court area of the centre.
“Some people in the group were reported to have weapons. As a result of the incident, centre management activated an audible alert and evacuation alarm, and the centre went into lock down.
“Numerous police resources including STAR Group officers attended the centre to commence a search for the groups involved in the initial disturbance.
“A thorough search of the centre was conducted including rooftops, however the groups involved were not located.
“Several shoppers who sought refuge in shops were safely escorted from the centre.
“Police are satisfied that there is no ongoing threat to the community. Further investigations are being carried out to identify the groups involved.”
Sirens could be heard going off in the centre as shoppers try to escape.
Footage on social media also shows people locked down in a Target staff room.
Armed youths were wielding extendable batons
In a press conference this evening, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens told media they received reports of a fight between youths in the food court.
”At that time, we had information that the fight involved three of those offenders armed with expandable batons,” he said.
”Police responded and by the time police had got to the centre, Westfield had enacted their emergency procedures and they were following the procedures that take place during the incident they were dealing with.”
Stevens said police worked closely with Westfield and escalated the response to ensure the safety of all patrons in the centre.
”Some of those patrons had sheltered in place and some had individually evacuated.
”It was our job to work very closely with Westfield to clear the centre and ensure that the safety of customers within the centre could be ensured.
”That took us a few hours. But we are at the point where we’re safely able to clear the centre with our specialist police and allow people that were still sheltered in place to leave.”
Stevens said the incident involved three boys under 18 years old of a Caucasian appearance.
”They approach another group of boys and an altercation occurred. The expandable batons are seen and at this stage we can’t discount any other weapons, but we do have some reports a knife may be involved,” he said.
The three boys chased the other boys through the centre and entered the David Jones store.
