INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- Dozens of girls fought -- possibly about a boy -- outside a mall on Wednesday, and the brawl ended with mall security officers using pepper spray and police using Taser guns, authorities said.

It happened outside an Applebees at Independence Center and involved about 20 to 30 teenage girls, police said.

A mall security officer was injured trying to break up the fight.

Police took four females into custody. Two of them were juveniles.

Authorities were investigating whether the fight was related to two scuffles on Christmas night.

A group of girls got into a fight at Ward Parkway Mall, and a brawl broke out in a group of boys outside an AMC Theater across the street from Independence Center.

"I just think it's scary that it can get that bad in a public place where so many people are," said Mallory Cooper, a shopper.

Devon Cooper said, "You have to be aware of where you're walking, especially over there where there's a lot more kids doing just God knows what. We could have gone out the opposite entrance and been in the middle of that."

Officers met with the managers of the AMC Theaters, Independence Center and the Independence Commons shopping center, and they all agreed that more security personnel and police would patrol the malls to deter future fights, authorities said in a news release.

"We also want it known it is our joint resolve to insure Independence remains a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone," the news release stated. "There is a zero tolerance for any kind of behavior that puts public safety at risk."