Stampede at youth basketball tournament leaves 12 people injured, Pennsylvania cops say
Twelve people were injured Sunday when a report of shots fired led to a stampede exiting a sports complex, Pennsylvania cops say.
But police in Lancaster County say there are no confirmed reports of anyone seeing a gun or victims of gunfire during the incident at Spooky Nook Sports.
Authorities say a fight broke out during one of the youth basketball games held at the large complex, which had an estimated 6,000 attendees Sunday afternoon, Penn Live reported.
Video obtained by Storyful shows hundreds of people running toward the exits while games were being played.
“I didn’t hear any gunshots, but I kind of grabbed my bag, grabbed my daughter’s bag and then just kind of waited to see what was going on,” Suzanne Jordan, the parent who filmed the scene, told WGAL. “Everyone was crowded at the exit, and I think that that’s where most of the people got hurt because they were just running over people.”
Diane E. Garber, emergency services coordinator for East Hempfield Township, described the mass exodus as people leaving in a “chaotic manner,” the York Daily Record reported.
“Our kids were scared,” one of the tournament’s coaches, Sean Smith, told Lancaster Online. “On our way home, I’m thinking about all the things that could have happened in this situation.”
Smith said that before heading toward the exit, he grabbed a bag of basketballs to throw on his back in case a someone was shooting from behind, the newspaper reported.
Six people were hospitalized due to injuries they suffered while trying to exit the building, police said. Another six people were treated at the scene by medical officials.
Spooky Nook Sports said the incident “was a very emotional experience for everyone involved.”
“We now know that security footage showed no evidence of a guest with a gun. However, it doesn’t make the moment any less terrifying,” the sports complex said in a Facebook post Monday.
Marquee Hoops, which was hosting the Marquee Nationals tournament at the complex, also released a statement about the incident.
“We continue to prioritize the safety and security of anyone who comes to our events,” the organization said. “We will continue to take steps to ensure just that.”
With 700,000 square feet holding 10 basketball courts and many other facilities, Spooky Nook calls itself the largest indoor sports complex in North America.
This story was originally published August 3, 2021 at 8:37 AM with the headline "Stampede at youth basketball tournament leaves 12 people injured, Pennsylvania cops say."