LAPD investigation finds no threat after social media scare of mass shooting downtown

A threat of a mass shooting in downtown Los Angeles that was supposedly planned for Thursday and went viral on social media was determined not credible and no arrests have been made, authorities said.

With the Summit of the Americas taking place in L.A. this week, federal and local law enforcement officials were already on a heightened alert, with an incident command post established downtown. President Biden is in town to participate in the summit, which includes political leaders from throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Authorities began investigating Tuesday as reports of a mass shooting planned for Thursday began to spread across social media. According to law enforcement sources, the Los Angeles Police Department ultimately traced the rumors to a person with mental health issues.

“On June 7, 2022, the Los Angeles Police Department was alerted to a possible mass shooting threat made to the Downtown L.A. area,” LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz said. “It was determined there was no credible threat made and no crime occurred.”

Muniz said no arrests have been made and a further statement will be forthcoming later Thursday. Several messages appeared on Twitter from people claiming they would be closing their businesses because of the threat. None of those messages came from verified sources.

At least one protester was detained Wednesday evening outside Microsoft Theater as Biden’s motorcade was arriving. KTTV-TV News video showed a woman holding a megaphone walking into the street before she was intercepted by a Secret Service agent.

Theagent tackled the woman to the ground and struggled with her before LAPD officers helped restrain her and remove her from the scene,