Middletown, NY, 'active shooter' reported at Galleria mall prompting lockdown

REPORTS of an active shooting at a mall in New York led to the place being put on lockdown.

Police said that they received reports of an armed person in the Galleria at Crystal Run today.

Read our Galleria Mall Active Shooter live blog for the latest news and updates...

Officials confirmed they were at the shopping center just after 3.30pm local time on Tuesday afternoon.

Cops said that they are searching the mall, but did not stand up whether there was an active shooter on the scene.

It wasn't until approximately 4:30pm when The Town of Wallkill Police Department wrote to Facebook: "At this time an all clear is being given at the Galleria Mall.

"All people locked down are asked to exit the closest exit."

Police advised the public that a press release would be posted soon and shared the update about three hours later.

The news release said officers from the Wallkill Police Department first responded to a report of a "Suspicious Person" at the Galleria Mall.

"When officers arrived on the scene, a citizen advised that she observed a male, possible armed with a gun, walking in the Mall parking lot, A subsequent investigation disclosed that there was no threat to the patrons at the mall," the press release stated. "Shortly afterward, the lockdown was lifted and the mall reopened."

People inside of the mall took to Twitter with reports that there was a shooting at a Target in the mall.

One person claimed, "my daughter was in the parking lot when shoppers ran out of Target en masse, stating there was a shooter in the mall."

However, one reporter said that they spoke with a state police spokesperson who said there was no threat to the public.

They added that there was "nothing to substantiate" reports of there being a man with a gun in the building.

Wallkill Police said that the reports were "currently unfounded" as of 3.45pm.

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus told an WABC reporter that customers and staff were being escorted from the building store by store.

Footage from the scene showed cop cars with their flashing lights on, and other vehicles leaving the area.

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Other videos appeared to show a SWAT team arriving at the mall.

Back in 2017, there was a shooting at the same mall in which a mom and her 12-year-old son were injured after a man discharged a gun.

The mall is roughly 70 miles away from New York City.

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