False gun scare at Magic Kingdom sparks frantic stampede through park

Officials in Florida said the scare at Disney park stemmed from balloon popping

A rumor of an active shooter at Walt Disney World in Florida prompted park goers to stampede in effort get away from the area (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

A popping balloon prompted parkgoers at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Florida to stampede out of fear of an active shooter situation on Thursday, according to officials.

However, there was no gunman at the famed theme park, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida stated following the incident. Officials said a fight had transpired inside the park and a “popping” sound was heard.

Guests began running and that’s how the active shooter rumor started.

No arrests were made as a result of the fight, the sheriff’s office later said, stating neither of the people involved wanted to press charges.

No additional information has been reported. A video of the stampede caught on camera by a parkgoer showed items scattered across the floor of a store inside the park’s Main Street USA. One person had abandoned their stroller in an effort to get away from the scene.

One X user wrote, “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. i was shoved out of the way and fell. mothers were crying looking for their daughters, people were hiding, it was so bad.”

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. i was shoved out of the way and fell. mothers were crying looking for their daughters, people were hiding, it was so bad. pic.twitter.com/NATeMuwceK

— D (@anxrosa) August 30, 2024

In a statement following the incident, a representative for Walt Disney World Resorts said: “We appreciate the immediate response of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to quickly assess and clear the situation. Normal operations have resumed and the park is now closed for the evening.”