I read on Twitter that the original source for the “8 foot tall” “creature” story was someone who heard those words on a police scanner and made that interpretation. But there are no primary sources on that story whatsoever.
I’ve also read that assault rifles are usually referred to as “sticks” by the Miami police, and “fireworks” would refer to gunshots. If there had been reports of an assault rifle shooting in a mall, that response would have been warranted.
The problem is, there is no information either way. As far as I know, not even the theory about it being “young people brawling” came from the media. The situation is rife for misinformation.