MIAMI — After a huge police response to a mall in Miami Monday that was captured on video, many online users began to speculate what could cause such a scene.
Teens running, police converging and a grey splotch that appears to be moving: Videos from the outdoor mall stoked wild claims this week on social media that aliens had landed on Earth. But the truth is far more terrestrial.
On Monday, NBC News reports a group of roughly 50 teenagers caused a riot at Bayside Marketplace, an outdoor mall roughly 5 miles from South Beach, according to the Miami Police Department.
The teens were setting off fireworks, which led to a panic as some assumed there was a shooting, said Miami Police Department public information officer Michael Vega. Four teens were arrested.
Police were dispatched “for crowd control due to the juveniles refusing to leave,” Vega said in an email to NBC News. “Some businesses were temporarily closed to allow us to clear the area.”
In the days after the incident, users on social media launched a speculation frenzy, homing in on what they described as “Miami Mall Aliens.” Some suggested police were responding to aliens, not teenagers. Several people reviewed video of the incident circulating online and claimed they could see an alien figure in the grainy footage. Others quickly posted memes.
While many of the responses online appeared lighthearted, the posts show just how quickly and easily misinformation can spread on social media. Read the full story here.
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