VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - The Valdosta Police Department (VPD) says widespread misinformation on social media complicated their efforts to keep the community safe after an incident at Valdosta Mall on Saturday evening.

It all started around 6:20 p.m. when a Valdosta Police officer inside the mall learned about a fight between teens in the parking lot. Police say one of the teens threw a gun under a vehicle and was taken into custody outside. Two others ran inside the mall.

Not long after, police say rumors began to spread online.

“Somebody else says they heard gunshots somewhere, and then the next thing you know, someone’s putting out they found three bodies. And it’ll continue like that when actually we didn’t have anything occur,” said Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan.

Soon after, officers started getting 911 calls about an active shooter. Others posted on social media that gunfire had been heard inside the mall.

One concerned mother posted, “My two daughters heard the gunshot. My oldest daughter had to keep calm because her little sister was crying and started to panic.”

While still investigating, police posted an alert on Facebook to calm the community, “We are aware of everyone’s concerns and social media posts circulating about a possible active shooter at the Valdosta Mall. At this time, there is no evidence of an active shooter or gunshots being fired.”

In reality, police confirm the incident was only a fight among juveniles.

Chief Manahan says false reports like these create unnecessary fear.

“If you had a loved one that was at Valdosta Mall on Saturday evening and you’re reading all this stuff that there’s people shot, people are hearing gunshots and they can't get in touch with their loved one. You know the panic that they had to be going through. We really strongly encourage people to stay away from putting false narratives on social media.”

An MIT study shows false news can reach 1,500 people about six times faster than true stories, demonstrating just how quickly misinformation can spread and complicate police efforts.

Robert Preston, a career journalist in Southwest Georgia, says he spends more time than ever separating fact from rumor.

“Everybody wants to be first; everybody wants to get out there in a hurry, but it takes time to verify your information. There’s an element of patience and time that goes with verifying information.”

Chief Manahan says she never imagined social media would impact law enforcement this much when she started her career.

“I hear all the time that crime is out of control. Only because there’s stuff being put on social media. Not always from the police department but from other people.”

The instant nature of social media, whether accurate or not, has created an expectation that the truth can be found just as quickly.

Saturday’s panic at the Valdosta Mall is a reminder that accurate information is what matters most, even if it takes longer to confirm.

The Valdosta Mall released the following statement in response to Saturday's incident:

"To our valued community,

We want to address a situation that occurred at Valdosta Mall on Saturday evening, August 2nd. A few juveniles were seen brandishing what appeared to be firearms in a common area outside of the mall. Thankfully, no shots were fired and no injuries were reported.

Mall security and local police responded immediately, and the individuals involved were quickly located and detained. Our new and extensive video security camera system provided critical real-time and recorded footage and continues to assist with the ongoing investigation.

We take the safety of our guests, employees, and tenants very seriously. Valdosta Mall is equipped with 24/7 video camera surveillance, and we maintain a strong partnership with local law enforcement to ensure a secure shopping environment. We are also reviewing whether further security enhancements are appropriate in light of this event.

We understand that safety is essential to your experience, and we remain committed to providing a clean, comfortable, and secure environment for you and your family.

Thank you for your continued trust and support."

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