ORLANDO, Fla. – At least 12 people were injured during a shooting scare Monday night at a Fourth of July celebration at Lake Eola in Orlando, police said.
Parkgoers attending Fireworks at the Fountain, the city’s annual Independence Day celebration, started scrambling shortly after the fireworks began around 9:45 p.m.
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Orlando police said it’s believed someone threw firecrackers or some other type of firework into the crowd and the noise was mistaken for gunshots. Police said there was no evidence that shots were fired.
About a dozen people were injured during a stampede, which was captured on video. Parkgoers started running away, seeking shelter and some even jumped into Lake Eola to escape the apparent danger.
“This whole (area) was filled with people just trampling down everybody. We got trampled down. We got pinned down onto the ground,” a woman said.
“We saw people running and everyone just started running. I don’t know. It was scary,” a man told News 6 anchor Matt Austin as the fireworks show continued.
“I have no idea what happened. All I know is I’m not trying to die, so we just tried to leave as quickly as possible,” another woman said.
No arrests were made, but Orlando police are seeking more information about the scare, saying, “Our officers remain at Lake Eola in an effort to confirm what led to (Monday night’s) confusion during the fireworks show. Your helps is needed! If you were in this area at approx. 9:50pm, (call) our non-emergency line, 321-235-5300, or Crimeline.”
Check back for updates.