The weekend brawl at the Dallas National Cheerleading Competition sent thousands of teens and parents running when the brawl caused false reports of active shooters, police said.
Chaos unfolded at the Cay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center on Saturday around 1pm. Dallas Police Department said about x.
“Preliminary investigations determined that the fight between the two led to multiple poles being knocked down, which caused a loud noise,” the department said. “The noise contributed to the panic inside the building and encouraged people to go outside with stampedes.
“There were multiple life-threatening injuries during the uproar,” police said. “No shooting occurred.”
But fear of the possibility of a shooter shows that thousands of teenage cheerleaders and their families will appear on the streets. KDFW-TV.
“It was a mess,” witness David Crawford told the outlet. “Everyone is running in all directions.”
Autumn Holb, a 14-year-old cheerleader, said she was thrown as the mob ran for the door.
“I was pushed into the corner,” she told KDFW. “I fell, my knee hurts, my hands hurt. I thought I was going to pass out. I didn't know what I was doing.
“Crying, screaming, police officers everywhere,” she said. “The sirens were horrible.”
The footage shows the adjacent Omni Hotel evacuated while Dallas police officers rushed to the scene.
Varsity Brands, which sponsors the NCA event, said in a statement that the convention center had evacuated as a precaution after the incident and halted competition for the day.
“The incident resulted in a quarrel between the two attendees, causing confusion and some injuries. Thankfully, none of them was life-threatening,” the official said in an email to the post Sunday.
“The NCA All-Star competition will resume this morning and athletes will compete all night,” the statement said. “We appreciate the support of our athletes, coaches, staff, audiences and Dallas emergency response personnel, and we look forward to a strong conclusion of this event later today.”
