Shot fired at Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville, person in custody

According to police, 51-year-old Michael William Floyd of Hope Mills got into a verbal dispute with an employee at one of the restaurants in the food court.

After the altercation, police said Floyd left the mall and later returned to the food court with a handgun.

Floyd then entered a designated employee area, when an altercation with an employee ensued. Police say during the altercation Floyd's gun went off and the employee was able to disarm him.

WRAL News spoke with the man who apprehended Floyd. Robert Williams, an Army veteran, said he saw Floyd walk in with gun in hand.

"He took his gun, tucked it into his pants and proceeded to take his shirt to cover it up," Williams said. "When I hopped out and saw him, I guess the guy who was with him confronted him and said 'you stole my wife's gun!'"

Williiams said he followed Floyd to his car back to his car to subdue him until police arrived.

"When I followed him, I waited until he was in a clearing in the parking lot where there were no civilians and no one sitting in their vehicles," Williams said. "Right when I saw he was by himself and no one was around, I pulled my gun on him. I said 'get on the ground!' I said 'Let me see your hands. get on the ground. get on the ground now.'"

Officers with the Fayetteville Police Department responded to the mall around 12:45 p.m.

"I saw a police officer pull up in an unmarked car," Williams said. "The officer hops out of the car and I said 'Put him in cuffs!'"

Police later arrested Floyd.

"There was an altercation in the food court, at which time one round was fired," said Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden. "We do have the weapon in custody, the suspect in custody and the mall is open for business."

The shot sent shoppers scrambling for cover inside the mall.

Despite circulating social media posts, police said there was no active shooter.

"The mall is not locked down, and this is not an active shooter situation," police said.

"A lady came walking up and said there was a shooter and I pulled her in the bathroom with me," said Beverly Kalenbach, who was in the mall at the time. "I come to this mall all the time. I've never had any problems here."