Man who caused chaotic lockdown at Dolphin Mall arrested

The man who police say is responsible for a chaotic Saturday night at Dolphin Mall has been arrested, jail records show.

David Smith, 31, was arrested and booked into jail early Sunday on charges of aggravated battery. Police say Smith got into a fight, which somehow birthed rumors of a shooting and caused the mall to evacuate and go on lockdown.

Ultimately, no shots were fired and it was a false alarm, according to Sweetwater police.

The scare — which created mayhem on the ground and on social media — happened just after 9 p.m. Saturday. The outlet mall, located on Northwest 114th Avenue and 12th Street, reopened as scheduled at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Smith was released from Miami-Dade County Jail at around 10 a.m., jail records show. On Sunday night, police would not say what caused the physical altercation.

But it’s not the first time Dolphin Mall was hit with rumors of gunfire. In August, the shopping complex and the surrounding neighborhood turned into a chaotic mess when word began to spread that there was an active shooter on the premises.

In the end, it was determined that it was a rumor, possibly sparked by a loud noise that someone mistook for gunfire.

This story was originally published April 8, 2018 at 8:35 PM with the headline "Man who caused chaotic lockdown at Dolphin Mall arrested."