The Brief
- Gwinnett County police say a social media post claiming a protest was planned at the Mall of Georgia was a hoax.
- Detectives identified the poster as a juvenile living out of state who admitted he thought inciting chaos would be funny.
- Mall management confirmed there are no changes to hours of operation and no authorized protests scheduled for the property.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – Gwinnett County police have identified an out-of-state child as the source of a viral social media post that falsely claimed a protest was being planned at the Mall of Georgia.
What we know:
Gwinnett County detectives traced a social media post regarding mall hours and unaccompanied teenager policies back to a juvenile who does not live in Georgia. Investigators confirmed the individual had no plans to visit the state or attend any event. A follow-up post has since been shared stating the protest is canceled.
The juvenile told detectives he created the post because he thought “inciting chaos would be funny.” Simon Property Group, Inc. told police they have not changed hours of operation and have not authorized any protests on the premises.…