ALBAWABA - A retail mall in Adelaide was placed under lockdown following a major altercation with up to 20 young people carrying extendable clubs and at least one wielding a machete, according to a Kiwi witness.
Customers at the Westfield Marion Shopping Centre were evacuated on Sunday afternoon. According to News.com.au, South Australian police have warned the public to keep away from the area.
Video circulating on social media shows highly armed SWAT cops storming the mall as customers leave or hide inside shuttered businesses.
A lady who was at the mall at the time of the incident recalled being locked down for 1.5 hours when a group of about 20 young people got into a fight in the food court after one of them was threatened with a machete.
The woman claimed she sought sanctuary at a San Churro shop while the event 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.
According to News.com.au, an armed guy was sighted at the center's David Jones shop. At 5.15 p.m., South Australian police said that they were investigating an incident at the Westfield Marion Shopping Centre.
"Just before 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, police got complaints of two groups of teenage boys fighting in the center's food court. Some people in the group were reported to have weapons. As a result of the incident, center management activated an audible alert and evacuation alarm, and the center went into lockdown," the news outlet stated.
