Did you get an alert about a gun at Durham’s Streets at Southpoint mall? Here’s why.

An emergency alert in Durham was accidentally sent to those who had signed up for COVID-19 appointments, the city and county said Tuesday.

The alert warned residents to avoid The Streets at Southpoint mall off Interstate 40 in southern Durham after a report of a firearm. It confused those who had not signed up for alerts.

No shots were fired during the Sunday incident at the mall, but four people were injured, The News & Observer reported.

People fled after a fight broke out in the food court and a loud banging sound was caused by a broomstick hitting tables, authorities said.

The mall was evacuated while police investigated, but reopened later that day.

Alert message ‘inadvertently sent’

The alert system, which is used for severe weather and urgent incidents that pose a threat to the public, is maintained by Durham City-County Emergency Management.

In the Tuesday statement, officials said that the alert had asked users to avoid the area near the mall because traffic issues on Interstate 40 and surrounding roads were making it difficult for emergency responders to arrive on scene.

A second alert was sent after law enforcement had resolved the incident, according to the statement.

Emergency Management officials said further review found the alert message “was inadvertently sent to the Durham County Department of Public Health registry that was used for previous COVID-19 vaccine registration and appointment scheduling.”

That registry has since been removed from the alert system, officials said.

“Moving forward, only registered Alert Durham users will continue to receive emergency notifications through Durham’s emergency notification system,” the statement said.

To register for alerts, officials said residents can go to www.AlertDurham.com.

The N&O has asked Durham for more information about what situations warrant an alert.

This story was originally published October 26, 2021 at 3:30 PM.