Shots were fired Saturday morning outside of Governors Square Mall in Clarksville, Tennessee, leading to widespread social media reports of an active shooter on the scene.
No shots were fired inside the mall and no injuries have been reported.
Scott Beaubien, the public information officer for the Clarksville Police Department, confirmed to WKMS that “there was never an active shooter situation” Saturday morning in Clarksville.
A release and social media post from CPD clarified the reports later that morning:
“At approximately 10:47 a.m. the Clarksville Police Department received a 911 call regarding a shooting at Governors Square Mall. Initial reports were that the shooting occurred inside the mall, but witnesses stated that it happened on the perimeter road. There have been no reported injuries and more information will be released when available. This is still an ongoing investigation and not an active shooter situation. Numerous law enforcement agencies responded to the scene. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call 911.”
CPD fielded a 911 call at 10:47 a.m. Saturday that initially reported a shooting inside the mall.
The agency is conducting an active investigation into the incident, which witnesses have now told the authorities occurred on the perimeter road of the Montgomery County mall.
A subsequent social media post by CPD later Saturday afternoon indicated that officers were on the scene “within a minute” after the initial call. It then said that officers did a protective sweep of the premises to ensure the safety of individuals at the mall and check for potential victims or suspects.
CPD said that the mall was cleared and employees and shoppers were allowed back in at 1:42 p.m.
The agency said its initial findings show “that this was an isolated incident between two parties and not a random act,” the CPD also said in its post. Investigations into the incident are still ongoing.
Clarksville Now also reported that the incident took place “during a scheduled multi-agency training exercise nearby at Tennova Healthcare.”
A native of western Kentucky, Operle earned his bachelor's degree in integrated strategic communications from the University of Kentucky in 2014. Operle spent five years working for Paxton Media/The Paducah Sun as a reporter and editor. In addition to his work in the news industry, Operle is a passionate movie lover and concertgoer.
