New Jersey mall evacuated following reports of gunfire, police say

5/10/2014

NEWARK, N.J., -- Police evacuated the Westfield Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, New Jersey, today following reports of gunfire, but officers had not been able to confirm that shots were fired, officials said.

The mall was surrounded by officers, who were trying to assess the situation, said a dispatcher with the Paramus Police Department.

New Jersey State Police said in a message on Twitter that troopers were on site but that there had been no confirmation of shots fired. A Bergen County police dispatcher said the mall was evacuated as a precaution.

Paramus is less than 20 miles north of Newark.