Bargain hunters at a shopping center in Casamassima last weekend fled in panic after three boys allegedly connected a smartphone to a Bluetooth speaker and played audio consisting of gunfire and men shouting in Arabic.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon inside a MediaWorld electronics store in the southern Italian town, sparking chaos among shoppers.

Store staff alerted both the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza, and officers from both forces attended the scene and quickly identified the perpetrators.

According to La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, all three were minors, two of whom were 13 years of age, and one aged 12.

They are understood to have connected their smartphone to a Bluetooth speaker on show in one of the display cabinets inside the store and opted to play sounds simulating a terror attack. Several customers had mistaken what the boys insisted was a “prank” as real gunfire and had run from the store in fear.

The minors were reported for public disorder and handed over to their parents due to their age. Authorities say further evaluation will consider the responsibility of guardians and whether store security measures were sufficient.

Juvenile authorities have also been notified and have opened inquiries.