Man smashes car into front of Colorado shopping center, Pueblo Mall evacuated due to bomb threat

A driver led police on a short chase through a mall parking lot in Pueblo on Tuesday afternoon and then smashed the car into the front of the southern Colorado shopping center. Officers worked hard to arrest the suspect after what Pueblo police described as a "protracted struggle." After that the man said there were bombs in the car and the mall was evacuated.

It happened at the Pueblo Mall, which is located on the 3400 block of Dillon Drive in the northern part of the city. The call originally came in just after 2 p.m. as a shots fired situation and police officers responded quickly. No one was found to be hurt from any gunshot wounds and they identified the apparent gunman, who was in a vehicle.

The driver crashed the car into the west side of the building in an area near the food court. A witness told a CBS affiliate in Colorado Springs that there was a lot of screaming and commotion at that moment.

So far it's not clear if the man's claims about bombs in the vehicle were true. The Pueblo Metro Bomb Unit was called in to check the car.

The mall remained closed due to the police activity Tuesday evening and it's expected to stay closed for a while. 

The man's identity hasn't been released. Anyone with information about this crime that might help in the investigation is asked to contact <a href="https://www.pueblocrimestoppers.com /">Pueblo Crime Stoppers</a> at (719) 542-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of $2,000.