On Friday at approximately 6:30 p.m., the Gainesville Police Department responded to the Oaks Mall due to a possible hostage situation.
According to the department's public information officer Brandon Hatzel, officers responded to a hostage situation call that escalated to an active shooter situation after law enforcement arrived.
Hatzel said mall customers told officers they thought there was an active shooter.
Gainesville police teamed up with the Alachua County Sheriff's Office SWAT team to safely evacuate the mall and locate a shooter.
As of 10 p.m., Hatzel said there was no evidence of a hostage situation or an active shooter, and officers found no one injured or dead in the mall.
“GPD and ASO cleared and evacuated the mall and it’s currently wrapping up at this time,” Hatzel said.