Dallas police confirmed there was no active shooter after an incident in Downtown Dallas near the Omni Hotel and Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Saturday afternoon.
Police say the initial call that came in at 1 p.m. was regarding an active shooter, but that the investigation determined a fight between two people led to multiple poles being knocked down which caused a loud noise.
Dallas police tell NBC 5's Meredith Yeomans the fight was in the hallway between the Omni hotel and the convention center.
That loud noise contributed to panic inside the building and stampede as people rushed outside, according to police.
Police said several people suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the chaos. Dallas Fire-Rescue said 10 people were transported to area hospitals with injuries that "ranged in severity from bumps and bruises to extremity fractures." NBC 5 has learned that the worst injury was a broken leg.
Update regarding incident at 650 S. Griffin Street. pic.twitter.com/GxNGrhy3pk
— Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) March 1, 2025
The National Cheerleaders Association All-Star Championship competition was taking place at the convention center Saturday, with more than 58,000 people in attendance. Following the incident, the NCA competition host Varsity Brands said that activities were suspended for the day.
"The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center has been evacuated as a precaution based on reports of a safety concern. NCA security officials are working with law enforcement to quickly investigate these reports, and they have confirmed there is not an active shooter involved," Varsity Brands said in a statement. "As a precaution, we have suspended activities for today and will continue to work with event staff and local authorities to ensure a safe environment when we resume the event."
A family reunification center has been established at 400 N Lamar.
PARENTS DESCRIBE THE CHAOS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER
Cheerleader parent Erika Castaneda said she was walking between the convention center and the Omni hallway.
"As we were walking through, all of a sudden you heard somebody scream bloody murder and before you knew it people were just running in panic and trampling over each other and just trying to find a place of safety," said Castaneda. "Thank God, we're OK."
Navarro Cheer coach Ryan Johnson was in the hospitality room when he heard the commotion and people ran into the room.
"I wasn't going to wait to see what was happening, I was hoping nothing was happening but when people are running one way you don't run the other way. Just get away if you can, trying to do it without getting trampled on and trampling other people," said Johnson. "That's what I think is the scariest thing is, I don't know what actually happened or didn't happen, but the people getting trampled is probably the most injuries that's happened."
Johnson said an injured person was loaded into an ambulance.
Katy Zigler from Atlanta said she was outside the arena waiting for an Uber when she saw thousands of people running down the hill and ended up running with the crowd even getting separated from a family member for 15 to 20 minutes in the chaos.
"We never heard any guns, we didn't hear any shootings, we didn't hear any guns, we just saw the mass of people running out of the Omni hotel," said Zigler. "You know it's always one of those just one of those -- somebody screams, everybody runs and that's what I felt like was the most unsafe."
Zigler said it was clear there was panic, she saw kids iPads on the ground and cheer backpacks left on the street.
"I took care of a lady who fell and busted her head," said parent Tanya Perkins. "I took off my own shirt to wrap around her head to keep her from bleeding so much and I stayed with her until paramedics was able to treat her."
Brad Launius, from Hot Springs, Arkansas, said he saw people get trampled and pushed over despite the arena's message to remain calm during the evacuation.
"I heard people screaming 'run,' 'get out,' so we just covered our girls made sure everything was OK, gathered our stuff and headed to the closest emergency exit. They made an announcement over the loudspeakers and said 'Remain calm and leave the building' and so that's what we did," said Launius.
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