The Silver Lake Mall was evacuated Friday afternoon after an anonymous male caller claimed he was in the parking lot with a rifle and an explosive device, according to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.

The male called Black Sheep Sporting Goods about 3:50 and threatened to enter the store within 30 minutes to harm people, police said.

No one was hurt and the incident was believed to be a false threat.

The Coeur d'Alene police/Kootenai County regional SWAT team secured the parking lot and searched for the suspect, a press release said.

"During this exhaustive search, no suspicious persons were found," the release said.

The mall was then evacuated and the Spokane Bomb Squad, including its explosive detection K-9, was called to assist.

Law officers established a perimeter around the mall and only allowed outgoing traffic from the scene.

Law enforcement spent nearly two hours clearing the building, but no suspect was located.

Police said the incident appears to be a case of swatting, which they described as a "growing issue in the Northwest where false threats divert significant law enforcement resources and disrupt business."

Hanna Franck was inside the mall getting a pedicure when she learned about the police response and the evacuation.

"We saw on Facebook that the whole building was surrounded by police, so it was pretty scary. We are so fortunate to have strong law enforcement respond so quickly to the situation," she said.

    Local and county police watch the perimeter.