Mall of Georgia protest post revealed as hoax, police warn of social media misinformation
Gwinnett County Police became aware of a circulating social media post claiming that a protest was being organized at the Mall of Georgia concerning the mall's hours of operation and the policy on unaccompanied teenagers.
Detectives identified the individual responsible for the original post and found that the person was a juvenile who does not reside in Gwinnett County.
Detectives also learned that the juvenile would not be in the state and had no intention of attending the event.
A subsequent social media post stated that the protest had been cancelled.
The juvenile told detectives he thought provoking such an event and possibly inciting chaos would be amusing.
Simon Property Group, Inc. confirmed there have been no changes to the mall's hours of operation and that no protest has been authorized.
Gwinnett police said, "We remind the community that the Mall of Georgia is private property, though open to the public.As private property, management retains the authority to deny requests to hold organized events or protests on site."
The department is encouraging parents to discuss with their children the consequences of posting false information online and how rapidly misinformation can spread.