Crime & Safety
July 4 Fireworks Mistaken For Gunshots, Chaos Erupts In PA City
Witnesses said hundreds of people fled the city's annual fireworks display after a group of fighting kids set off firecrackers.
HARRISBURG, PA — Panic descended on Harrisburg's annual Fourth of July fireworks Monday when eventgoers mistakenly confused firecrackers for gunfire, according to city officials and other reports.
The chaos started when a fight broke out among a large group of juveniles just before the city's fireworks display kicked off, WHTM reported, citing Harrisburg police. The fight happened near Front and Walnut Streets around 9:30 p.m., city officials confirmed in a tweet.
According to a spokesperson for the city of Harrisburg, firecrackers were set off during the fight, which led someone to yell "gun."
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"Next thing you know, we hear somebody yell gun, and it was like a whole like at least 200 people run up that way, run up Front Street," witness Jay Reyes told WHTM
City officials, however, confirmed no shots were fired during the incident. No injuries were reported.
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That wasn't the case in other parts of the country that experienced similar scares Monday.
Two police officers were shot Monday night in Philadelphia during a Fourth of July fireworks display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The officers were shot during the Wawa Welcome America Festival's finale event just before 9:50 p.m. Monday, authorities said.
In Orlando, 12 people were hurt when a crowd gathered for a Fourth of July event at Lake Eola also panicked after mistaking fireworks for gunfire.
The incidents in Harrisburg and Orlando came just hours after a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois. The Highland Park shooting killed six people and injured dozens of others.
Robert "Bobby" Crimo III, 22, was later arrested by police in connection with the shooting.
RELATED: Highland Park 4th Of July Mass Shooting: 6 Dead, Suspect In Custody
In Harrisburg, one juvenile was arrested for fighting with police, WHTM reported.
During a Tuesday news conference, Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams reassured residents that it's safe to come to city events. She also said those involved in the fight were not from Harrisburg.
"We will not tolerate juveniles coming into our city and causing chaos like that," Williams said.
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