A motorcycle backfiring caused panic and fear in crowds in Times Square NYC.
What We Know:
- Police received multiple calls just before 10 pm ET tonight about what people thought to be gunfire or some type of explosion.
Passing through #NYC’s #TimesSquare, 1hr after this sound sent 1000s running for their lives, in fear of another mass shooting. Accounts of people trampled, hiding in stores, separated from their families. Authorities confirm it was a motorcycle backfire. This is no way to live. pic.twitter.com/GU2zrJfUv5
— Andrew Hodge (@andruhodge) August 7, 2019
- The root cause was found to be motorcycles backfiring through the streets of Times Square but sounded like gunfire.
- NYPD confirmed that the area was safe and there was no need for alarm.
There is no #ActiveShooter in #TimesSquare. Motorcycles backfiring while passing through sounded like gun shots.
We are recieving multiple 911 calls. Please don’t panic. The Times Square area is very safe! @NYPDnews @NYPDTimesSquare
— NYPD Midtown North (@NYPDMTN) August 7, 2019
Please be advised that all is safe and secure in #timessquare . All reports of suspicious sounds were due to a large group of cruising through the area on this nice evening. #connecting #protecting
— NYPD Midtown South (@NYPDMTS) August 7, 2019
- The crowds can be seen running from what was thought to be another mass shooting days after the Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas shootings. Lin-Manuel’s ‘Hamilton’ was even disrupted by crowds running into the Richard Rodgers Theatre which temporarily stopped the show.
So we’re in Times Square and everyone starts running and screaming “SHOOTER.” So we start running and bust into Richard Rodgers Theatre: The Home of Hamilton. Everyone is frantic and crying and Beth and I are SHAKING bc we’re on the stage where @Lin_Manuel preformed pic.twitter.com/s5l36dqUqZ
— nichole elise (@nichole_5909) August 7, 2019
People fleeing and hiding from #timessquare after suspected live shooter #NewYork we caught this from our hotel bar 10th floor #police confirmed this was not a live shooter #timessquare #NYC pic.twitter.com/IKfagFbtzy
— The Daniels Group (@DanielsGrp) August 7, 2019
Calm has been restored in Times Square but the sadness and anger of the state of fear in this country currently remains.
