Police are responding to reports of a suspected shooting at Columbia Mall in Maryland, with witnesses indicating the presence of an active shooter. At this time, these reports remain unconfirmed as authorities have not yet issued an official statement.

“As we were leaving the Columbia Mall there was a shooting in the mall. Everyone was running out of the mall! Thank GOD for covering us!” one witness reported on Facebook.

Another person wrote, “Check on your peeps! Shooting in Columbia Mall(Md)! I’m going to get my child.”

There are claims that shots were fired in the mall’s food court area, resulting in at least one fatality. The mall has reportedly been placed on lockdown.

A witness reported, “Stay away from Columbia mall active shooting in food court area mall on lockdown.”

Another wrote, “Shooting at Columbia mall. One dead. Please check on your family.”

Another witness wrote, “So there was a shooting at Columbia Mall in the food court. I have a friend there saying they are in lock down over there.”

“DO NOT GO TO COLUMBIA MALL!!! There was a shooting and apparently someone is dead. I was I was in there when it went down, but was able to get out to safely and am now enroute to home! It was complete chaos!!! THANKING GOD FOR HIS PROTECTION! Praying for the person that lost their life and the one who took it!” another person shared on Facebook.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more information

Six people have been arrested and charged with taking part in illegal, large-scale car rallies in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

All of them are from Maryland and range in age from 19 to 24. Terrel Marshall, 22, of Suitland; Alex Agustin, 22, of Laurel; Kyle Allen, 24, of Lanham; Jarard Walters, 21, of Essex; Malik Coleman, 24, of Baltimore and London Flores, 19, of Silver Spring, are all being charged in connection with three separate rallies.

Maryland State Police spokesperson Elena Russo said the charges include disorderly conduct, reckless driving and malicious destruction of property, among other charges. They could face fines or possible prison time.

“These takeovers, as they call them, involve large groups of people and they go in and they take over intersections or streets,” Russo said. “They perform their stunts — skidding their wheels or spinning their wheels — and oftentimes end up destroying property.”

The arrests are part of a new effort by Maryland State Police and local law enforcement to crack down on the disruptive and potentially dangerous events.

The Maryland Car Rally Task Force includes Maryland State Police, the Maryland Transportation Authority police, Baltimore City police and police departments in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

Russo said the task force is also increasing patrols in known hot spots.

Two recent car meetups in Prince George’s County involved deadly shootings, including one in June in Accokeek.

Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, are also working to curb street takeovers as part of a summer crime prevention initiative.

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Apple Inc. has reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement with retail employees in Maryland, the International Association of Machinists said Friday, a first for the company’s US stores.

The deal is subject to approval by the roughly 85 employees in the bargaining unit, who are slated to vote on it Aug. 6. The agreement includes rules about scheduling, severance, and sub-contracting, and requires that any discipline not be “arbitrary, capricious or without merit,” an IAM spokesperson said. The three-year deal will increase pay by an average of 10% and maintains the status quo on healthcare, retirement, and staffing, according to the union.