Police Near Appleton Searching for Suspect After Mall was Evacuated
Posted: Dec 28, 2016 12:23 PM CST
(WFRV) Grand Chute Police are looking for a suspect after Fox River Mall was evacuated Tuesday night following potential active shooter situation.
Police are looking for 28-yr-old Christopher Hawkins.
Police say Hawkins is a black man, around 5-9 & about 150 pounds, with short hair and a goatee.
He has a tan, two-tone hat with a tag on top. Police believe Hawkins is armed and dangerous, and he might be dealing with mental health issues.
The incident took place around six o'clock in the evening that shoppers at the Fox River Mall heard an alarm urging them to evacuate the mall or get to safe location.
Within minutes Grand Chute Police, Appleton Police, Outagamie County sheriff's deputies and Wisconsin state troopers took up positions around entry ways.
It all started when Grand Chute Police received a telephone call from the family of a man who said he was at the mall with a gun and was planning on opening fire. That's when management and police decided to take action.
Police say workers and shoppers took shelter in back room and basements. The man was not found during a subsequent search of the mall.
While police say the lockdown procedures went smoothly, employees and shoppers say there was initially a lot of tension.
"There was a little bit after six and evacuation alarm went off and it was, it said evacuate or find safety," Alya Fields, an employee at Burger King said. "As soon as that happened, we saw people flooding out of the food court."
