A prank at the Colorado Mills shopping center on Saturday night prompted a large police response after bystanders called 911 about loud sounds they thought were gunshots, according to the Lakewood Police Department.

Police responded to reports of shots fired at the Colorado Mills food court around 5:40 p.m. and cleared the shopping center, Lakewood police said in a post on X.

Investigators later found three boys wearing masks stood up on chairs in the food court and started yelling and slamming jugs of milk on the ground, causing the loud sounds.

Police found two of the three boys and cited them for causing a public disturbance, according to the agency.

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Originally Published: August 18, 2024 at 11:01 a.m.