Shoppers at NY mall mistake umbrella for AR-15 rifle, prompting chaos and police lockdown

Shoppers at New York state’s largest mall were thrown into panic on Thursday after a man carrying an umbrella sparked fears of an active shooter, police said.

The scare began around 3:20 p.m. when 911 calls flooded in about a man carrying what appeared to be an AR-15-style rifle inside the Destiny USA shopping and entertainment complex in Syracuse.

A second caller said the suspect slung the “weapon” on his shoulder and appeared to cock it.

Within minutes, officers swarmed the area, backed by drones and a sheriff’s helicopter on standby.

By 4:04 p.m., a detective monitoring security cameras spotted the man on an escalator inside Destiny USA and tailed him into the food court near the 110 Grill.

Dispatchers reported a possible gunshot in the canyon area, but officers quickly confirmed no shots had been fired. Police locked down the mall as crowds of shoppers bolted for the exits.

At 4:10 p.m., cops detained the man and discovered the “rifle” was in fact a black umbrella with a samurai-style handle. He was questioned and released without charges after fully cooperating with law enforcement officials, police said.

The mall reopened after about 45 minutes, but the incident underscored just how tense Americans have become over mass shootings.

Just a day earlier, a gunman opened fire during morning Mass at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, killing two children and wounding 15 others before taking his own life.

The attacker, 23-year-old Robin Westman, legally bought multiple firearms and left behind a manifesto filled with hate and specific intent to target children.

Authorities are investigating the massacre as both a domestic terrorism act and an anti-Catholic hate crime, while community leaders have mobilized mental health resources and heightened security at schools and churches citywide.

The day before, another Minneapolis shooting left one man dead and six hurt outside a high school.

New York City was also shaken last month when a gunman stormed a Midtown Manhattan office tower, killing five, including an NYPD officer, before turning the gun on himself.