Deputies responded to Clackamas Town Center on Thursday night after a report of possible gunshots. No injuries were reported, and deputies said they believed there was no threat to the public.
People began calling the KATU newsroom shortly before 11 p.m. to report that something was going on at the mall. Witnesses said they heard more than a dozen gunshots, saw numerous patrol cars parked there and evacuated after going to see the new Spider-Man movie.
Clackamas Town Center patrol response
The response began after deputies were called to the mall on a report of possible shooting. The reporter saw one deputy drive by while at the mall, and the scene appeared calm.
That difference between what witnesses reported and what deputies said they believed is the center of the event. People inside the mall described gunfire and a rapid evacuation, while deputies were still investigating and interviewing witnesses.
Deputies and witnesses
The public-safety question for anyone at Clackamas Town Center was whether the report reflected actual gunfire or a false alarm. Deputies were investigating and interviewing witnesses while saying they believed there was no threat to the public.
For shoppers, workers and moviegoers, the immediate step was the same: follow the direction of deputies and wait for the investigation to sort out what triggered the report. The account from witnesses and the response from deputies both point to a fast-moving situation, but the cause of the report had not been settled in the information available.
