Mass Panic and “Stampede” at Magic Kingdom Amid False Rumors of Active Shooter.
On Thursday night, a fight and a popping balloon sparked mass panic and a “stampede” inside the Magic Kingdom theme park in Walt Disney World, Florida. The terrifying incident occurred just around 10 p.m., as the park was closing for the night.
Video footage posted on social media captured the aftermath of guests running for cover, with chairs and items littering the floor of a store inside the park. Went to Magic Kingdom today and there was literally a stampede because of a suspected shooter I thought that was actually going to be my last day,” X user “anxrosa” posted alongside the video at 10:16 p.m.
Another park guest described the experience as “the scariest thing I’ve ever been in in my entire life.” In a follow-up post, anxrosa added that they were shoved out of the way and fell, while mothers were crying looking for their daughters and people were hiding.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office quickly dispelled the rumors of an active shooter within the park, blaming the chaos on a fight that occurred alongside a “popping” sound that was likely a balloon. In a social media post, the department stated, “There is NO active shooter at WaltDisneyWorld’s Magic Kingdom.
The guests who had taken refuge inside stores were held there while police patrolled the area and ensured everything was safe before allowing them to exit after 15 minutes. They exited via the park’s water transportation services, as no monorails or buses were available at the time.
A spokesperson for Walt Disney World Resorts confirmed that normal operations had resumed and the park closed for the evening, expressing appreciation for the quick response by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in assessing and clearing the situation.
