Suffolk County Police responded to Smith Haven Mall at 4:34 p.m. on December 27 after multiple 911 callers reported possible shots fired. After a search by officers from multiple precincts and Emergency Service Section officers, it was determined no shots were fired. A group of approximately 10 teenagers were involved in an altercation during which a trash can was knocked over, causing a loud noise that was mistaken for a gun shot. There were no injuries reported.
SCPD officers, working with mall security, conducted a store-by-store search of the mall, which has since been re-opened. The investigation is ongoing.