Accidental explosion turns Polaris into “hot mess”

A kiosk mishap launched shoppers at Polaris Fashion Place into a royal tizzy yesterday.

Around 3:30pm yesterday—while many families were out celebrating Mother’s Day with a shopping excursion—a loud boom sent hundreds of people running and screaming from the mall. ABC6 reports the masses suspected a gunman. One patron called the chaotic scene a “hot mess.”

Shortly thereafter though, off-duty Columbus Police officer and bystander, Sgt. Dana Hess, determined the explosion was simply a mistake at a food kiosk by a teenaged employee.

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“A teen put nitrogen in his soda pop and it exploded,” wrote Columbus Police on Twitter, after informing its followers that there was no real threat at Polaris.

*UPDATE 5/12/19: Sgt. Dana Hess was off duty shopping at the mall when the explosion happened, right next to it. She says a teen put nitrogen in his soda pop and it exploded. He was the only one injured. Minor injuries. https://t.co/asa00tQqZ3
— Columbus Ohio Police (@ColumbusPolice) May 12, 2019

The teen suffered minor injuries and nobody else was hurt.

Hess told ABC6 the event provided a good training experience for her. The panicked crowd and assumption of an active shooter helped Hess to realize the importance of remaining calm in critical situations.

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