Fight in food court sparks panic at mall in Florida, deputies say

A fight in the food court at the Florida Mall Dining Pavilion in Orlando, Florida, sparked a panic after patrons believed shots were fired Saturday afternoon, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

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A man and a woman were fighting in the food court around 5 p.m. when a few chairs fell over, the sound of which people mistook for gunshots, according to deputies.

Crowds of people fled and sought shelter during the ensuing panic.

In the ensuing chaos, two people were injured and one person had a seizure, deputies said.

Orange County Fire Rescue dispatched at least five ambulances to the mall.

Officials said deputies have the two individuals who were fighting in the food court in custody.

Previous panic

This is not the first time a loud noise in the food court led shoppers at the Florida Mall to believe there was a shooting, prompting a panic.

Deputies said mall management scheduled a fire suppression system test at the new hot dog kiosk.

The test is an industry-standard test and was done through a contracted vendor.

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