LEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Lee County Sheriff's Office closed a portion of the Gulf Coast Town Center because of a fight between two drivers near a construction site. What caused a lot of confusion though was a message Florida Gulf Coast University sent out.
The subject line of the text alert said there was an active shooter on campus, but went on to say shots were reportedly fired at the town center.
FGCU Alert: Police activity in the area of Gulf Coast Town Center due to shots fired. Stay clear of the area. Updates to follow.
— FGCU Police Department (@FGCUPD) August 16, 2023
Less than 10 minutes later, FGCU retracted its message and said there was not campus shooter. However, they said the Lee County Sheriff's Office was looking for a suspect due to shots fired being reported.
Fox 4 asked LCSO if shots were fired, and they could not confirm this information.
We do know something did happen as deputies searched the area with a K9 where shoppers were. LCSO says there was a fight between two drivers, but they left before deputies got to the area.
"There had to be at least 15 police cars behind me," said Karen Hoffman, shopping nearby.
Hoffman was going in and out of stores while deputies were investigating.
"When we were in the stores walking around there were police officers coming every 10 minutes to question people coming in saying, did anybody run in here?" Hoffman explained.
When she asked deputies what was going on, Hoffman said they would not say. With little information, she said she felt uneasy.
"I feel like I should be leaving here because I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable," she said.
Hoffman ended up leaving, still not knowing what happened.
"I’m nervous. I’m a little shaky, but I’ll get over it," she said. "I’ve never felt unsafe here. I think this is a wonderful area."
Fox 4 reached out to FGCU, asking about the mistake and why they reported shots fired. As of Wednesday afternoon, we have not heard back.
The construction company working on the site says the incident did not involve the site itself and they just happened to be nearby where the scene was.
No shoppers were hurt. Some businesses, including Miller's Ale House, did close because of the active scene.
LCSO is on scene of an active scene located near a construction site at Gulf Coast Town Center. No shoppers were harmed. It appears to be an isolated altercation between two vehicles that have since fled. No businesses were affected, you may notice an increased deputy presence.
— Carmine Marceno - Florida’s Law and Order Sheriff (@SheriffLeeFL) August 16, 2023
Fox 4 is working on getting more details surrounding the incident.
