Police officers equipped with helmets, rifles and bullet-resistant vests converged in the rain Friday afternoon on the Shops at Sunset Place following a report that someone there possibly had a weapon.
But South Miami police said the suspicious object held by the person turned out to be an umbrella. It had a handle that could be mistaken for a firearm or some other kind of weapon, police said.
Several people said they worried upon seeing the massive emergency response, but were glad everything was OK.
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"It seemed like every single cop in Miami was right there," said Kristina McGuire, 20, who is in South Florida visiting from Lansing, Mich.
McGuire said police cruisers, including those from Coral Gables police, were lining the shopping center's exterior and that some people were evacuating. "It was kind of crazy," she said.
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The Shops at Sunset Place, at 5701 Sunset Drive, is described by its website as an “open-air shopping destination” featuring a large AMC movie theater and many specialty stores and restaurants.
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