ARLINGTON, Va. >> Authorities in northern Virginia say they have found no evidence that a shooting occurred at a movie theater that’s part of a popular mall.

Reports of a shooting had prompted panic and a large police presence tonight. But the Arlington County Police Department later tweeted that authorities had completed a preliminary search of the theater at the Ballston Quarter mall in Arlington without finding any evidence that a shooting took place.

As fears over the possibility of a shooting dissipated, many continued to eat and drink inside restaurants and bars in the area.

Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage says police planned to clear and search the whole mall, not just the theater, as a precaution.

Authorities say one person suffered a minor injury while evacuating.