A false active shooter alert that caused panic at Walt Disney World in Florida on Thursday night was reportedly the result of a series of unfortunate circumstances when a balloon burst near a dispute between individuals, causing families on site to fear the worst.
“There is NO active shooter at the Magic Kingdom… A scuffle took place and a ‘popping’ noise was heard, which we believe to be a balloon. Guests started running and that’s how the active shooter rumor started. There is no shooter,” the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida reassured on Facebook on Friday.
It was around 10 p.m., just as Walt Disney World was preparing to close for the night, that panic broke out at Magic Kingdom when families on site heard noises that sounded like gunshots, the New York Post reported.
Video footage shared on social media showed frightened screams as items from the display were knocked to the floor of one of the stores, as frightened shoppers reportedly ran for cover.
According to a witness to the scene, mothers were “crying as they looked for their children” while others hid as best they could in the rows.
“I thought it was going to be my last day. I got pushed aside and fell (…) Probably one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced personally, but I hope everyone else there is okay, especially the kids,” she told X.
Local police quickly confirmed that there was no shooter at the scene, but rather that it was a combination of bad circumstances.
For its part, a spokesperson for Walt Disney World Resorts reportedly thanked the police force for its “immediate response” and for having “quickly clarified the situation,” confirming that normal operations have resumed in the park, according to WKMG.
