Crime & Safety
Westfield Southgate Shopping Center Under Quarantine
UPDATE: The mall has been cleared.
ORIGINAL: Just before Noon Tuesday, someone walked into the Lens Crafters store at the Westfield Southgate Shopping Center and threw an unknown substance and fled the area.
The Westfield Southgate Shopping Center is currently closed and secured while hazmat teams conduct an investigation. Crews from the Sarasota County Fire Department are sending a team in to sample the substance. People inside are being asked to shelter in place until the substance can be determined.
There are no reported injuries or medical issues at this time. I'm staged on the south side of the mall, outside Macy's near the fire trucks.
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