Beverly Center evacuated after thousands show up to see band

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- There was chaos at the Beverly Center during an appearance by a group of Australian entertainers on Sunday.

Organizers expected only a few hundred people but thousands showed up. That's when authorities cleared the mall.

Screaming fans lined up to meet the Janoskians, an Australian band known for their music and their antics on YouTube.

The guys posted on their Facebook page they'd have a meet and greet at the store Wet Seal and told their fans: "Bring all your friends and lets shut that mall down!"

That's exactly what happened. As the Janoskians were trying to leave the mall, fans were determined to see the Aussie heartthrobs.

"Out of nowhere, a bunch of girls just ran because one of the guys, James, he tweeted saying that the event got canceled. So the girls went crazy, and we all just ran over there, and it was insane," said Daniela Rodriguez, a fan of the Janoskians.

Rodriguez and Karla Abad were in the midst of the fan frenzy.

"You hear everyone screaming, 'They're on the third floor; they're on the second floor!' We don't know where to go. We're trying to get out and trying not to get hurt. The escalators are just full," said Abad, a fan of the music group.

The LAPD says the fire marshal ordered the mall to evacuate the thousands of people inside before the mall was scheduled to close.

Organizers and mall security were surprised by the turnout. Not only were fans told to leave; other shoppers and mall employees had their night cut short due to the chaos.

"The security couldn't control them, so they kicked everybody out of the Beverly Center. Everyone was evacuated - employees, guests, everyone," said Michelle Ortiz, a Macy's employee.

According to their website, this isn't the first time that the Janoskians have shut down a mall. Last year, at a mall in Australia, they had more than 6,000 fans show up, and that overwhelmed that meet and greet as well.

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