Multiple reports, later proven to be false, of a bomb and a shooting resulted in authorities evacuating a movie theater in Edgewater, New Jersey.

The scary incident occurred on a Saturday night when the movie theater was packed with customers. The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the Edgewater Police Department received reports of a bomb and gunshots fired at the Edgewater Multiplex Cinemas in Edgewater, NJ.

In addition to the emergency calls placed to local police, several people at the movie theater also reported on social media that there was gunfire. One person’s Twitter account indicated that there was “mass panic” in the theater, with several individuals running and screaming.

It was later confirmed that the more detailed reports of a bomb threat and gunfire were inaccurate.

When police officers arrived at the scene around 9:30 p.m., they evacuated the theater.

The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office conducted a sweep of the movie theater, but officers did not come across any explosives.

It is now believed that the commotion was caused by someone falling inside the movie theater. The sound of the fall was reportedly mistaken for a gunshot, prompting the calls to police and the subsequent emergency evacuation.

Although this bomb threat turned out to be false, it could have led to serious repercussions if it had been true. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3, anyone who threatens to commit a crime of violence with the purpose to cause evacuation of a building can be charged with third degree terroristic threats. A conviction on charges of making terroristic threats could lead to a sentence of 3-5 years in New Jersey State Prison.

For additional information about this case, see the NJ.com article entitled “False Bomb, Shooting Reports Prompt Evacuation at Edgewater Theater.”