Get local stories sent straight to your inbox as news breaks.

Advertisement Fights mar post-Christmas shopping at malls across US Brawls disrupt busy shopping day Share Shares Copy Link Copy

One of the busiest shopping days of the year, the day following Christmas, was almost as busy for authorities dealing with fights in malls across the country. CONNECTICUT State and local police responded to a melee at a Connecticut shopping mall and arrested several people. Authorities say fights broke out Monday evening at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall in Manchester. There were no immediate reports of any serious injuries. Manchester police Capt. Chris Davis posted on his Twitter account that several hundred teenagers were in the mall at the time and there were several fights. He says several people were arrested and the mall was evacuated. Davis says authorities are still trying to sort out what happened. A mall security official said at about 7 p.m. Monday that the mall was closed. He would not confirm or deny that there was a large fight. The mall's regular closing time is 9 p.m. OHIO Police in Ohio said officers used pepper spray to disperse a large crowd following a fight at an upscale shopping mall. Cleveland.com reports the fight broke out Monday evening at Beachwood Place mall, prompting a lockdown. Officers initially responded to the scene for a report of shots fired. Police later confirmed that there were no gunshots. Fire officials say a man and a police officer were exposed to the pepper spray and received medical treatment. No one else was injured. Police say a juvenile was taken into custody for assaulting a police officer. It was not immediately clear what led to the fight. ILLINOIS NBC 5 reports that Fox Valley Mall in the Chicago suburb of Aurora was shut down temporarily for a large fight. Twitter users captured parts of the brawl, showing authorities trying to restore order in the concourse. NORTH CAROLINA A Fayetteville mall was evacuated after a fight between teenagers sent a crowd of after-Christmas shoppers fleeing. The Fayetteville Police Department said, via its Facebook page, it received a call for a large disturbance at the Cross Creek Mall food court. Numerous people also called reporting they heard gunshots, though some weren't sure if they actually heard gunshots. Police have not confirmed any gunshots or found any property damage to suggest gunshots. It remains an active investigation. KENTUCKY Louisville's Jefferson Mall closed at 8 p.m., an hour early, as officers were called out to the shopping center Monday evening. According to the mall's website, police made the recommendation because there was a large group of teenagers loitering at the mall. Louisville Metro police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said at least 75 youth were running around the mall. No arrests were made and no one was injured during the incident. Jefferson Mall plans to reopen at 10 a.m. Tuesday. There were similar disturbances at malls around the country including in New York, Texas and Colorado. In Memphis, Tennessee, police arrested several people following fights at two malls there.