Overview
- Deputies responded around 1:30 p.m. to a report of an armed suspect at Lakeside Mall in Metairie.
- A security sweep found no shooter, no weapon, and no victims, according to the sheriff’s office.
- JPSO concluded the report was a deliberate hoax intended to cause panic and draw an emergency response.
- The mall was not evacuated or placed on lockdown, and normal operations resumed after the checks.
- Investigators are working to identify the external caller, who could face criminal charges, as social media videos of patrons fleeing fueled confusion.