Did a 10-foot-tall being invade Miami? Video of massive police response sparks online panic
The official story so far? In Miami, at the Bayside Marketplace Mall, a group of 50 teens sparked a riot, running through the corridors, shooting off fireworks, damaging stores, and starting fights.
Some said there were reports of an active shooter as well.
But a video taken from what appears to be an apartment outside the mall sent the internet into a tizzy. In it, dozens and dozens of police cars sit out front of the mall, sirens blazing, with more flying in.
Some estimates claim at least 60 police cars arrived.
At this moment, nothing outside of a video of teens assaulting each other has made its way into the public.
But on TikTok, users have started a panic, somehow claiming that the video revealed 8-10 foot tall beings roaming the mall, citing reports that appear to be non-existent.
Other, unconfirmed claims included that black helicopters were spotted above the mall, lending a nefarious, secret government agency vibe to the whole affair.
A TikTok user named @auntie_coolette went viral, claiming she would be the only person to share the video.
Coolette cites "multiple witnesses" who claimed to have seen "creatures who stood 8-10 feet tall walking outside and inside the mall."
The noises were mall-goers "shooting" at the aliens, and not fireworks, @auntie_coolette said.
One TikToker, @sosa.pippen, claims to have been there, vacationing in Miami, but they've since deleted their video. Other accounts are reposting it, however.
He said he heard gunshots and then saw a "big ass shadow" but that was also solid, "disappearing and reappearing" while getting closer. He fled the mall and saw that cops were trying to detain anyone at the mall, claiming he evaded them with his girlfriend.
Coolette's video, along with the @sosa.pippen video and a number of other posts on TikTok, have helped to spark the claim that a secret alien invasion was underway.
On X, the Nephilim, the Hebrew word for "giants" which is often used to refer to aliens, began to trend.
Some users on X claimed that there were reports of UFO citings in the sky, that Miami International Airport had been shut down, that police scanners were shot down, and posted "zoomed in" videos where they claimed the being was visible, all of which have yet to be confirmed.
The incident appears to have occurred on Jan. 1, but only now seems to be going viral after getting picked up by larger accounts online.
In one of the "original" videos, there do appear to be entities walking by the police that posters claim are aliens, although there is currently no proof that those videos have not been doctored.
While there are no reports any aliens were detained, four teens were arrested.
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