Dozens fight at Bridgewater Commons, reports of gunshots

BRIDGEWATER — A fight and reports of shots being fired made for a chaotic night at another New Jersey shopping center.

Bridgewater Police were called to the Bridgewater Commons mall around 6:30 p.m. Thursday after a large fight broke out in the food court among 40 to 50 people, and spilled into a parking lot.

As the situation was brought under control, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said, police received reports of gunshots fired inside the mall.

Robertson said the incident remained under investigation and no suspects have been identified. No injuries were reported from the fight or the response to the possible gunshots.

RLS Metro Breaking News reported that a tactical unit responded to the mall. Police also told RLS they were investigating whether the sound was someone lighting fireworks.

A spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office on Friday said detectives were reviewing surveillance footage from the mall and could not determine if shots were fired.

Bridgewater Police said the mall never closed during the incidents.

Nearly two weeks ago, several fights broke out in the Hamilton Mall in South Jersey, leading to disorderly conduct charges filed against seven teens and two adults.

Last Saturday, 36-year-old LaShanda Anderson of Philadelphia was fatally shot after police said she attempted to run over two officers in the parking lot of a Marshalls store in Deptford following an attempted shoplifting. The Gloucester County Prosecutor's office said Anderson drove toward the officers.

Anderson's 31-year-old niece Traisha Way tells Philly.com that she questions if the shooting could be justified, saying there is no camera footage of it.

Material from the Associated Press was included in this report.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.

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