PINEVILLE, N.C. — A large police presence at the Carolina Place Mall in Pineville sparked the attention of many people after reports of shots fired.

Pineville police say, despite finding nothing after hours of searching, they still took the situation seriously, treating it as an active shooter until they were able to clear the area with the help of CMPD and leave the scene with no sign of any suspects.

In a briefing with the Pineville Police Department, police say they received between 12 and 18 911 calls from cell phones. Callers said they heard gunshots. Police also say they never had a description of a suspect.

Police evacuated the mall so that it could be searched fully.

No suspect was ultimately found but the investigation is ongoing.