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No active shooter at Disney's Magic Kingdom, sheriff says; fight, followed by popping noise led to panic

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Published  August 30, 2024 7:30pm MST
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FOX 35 Orlando

Chaos at Magic Kingdom after fight, popping noise

Reports of a shooting or an active shooter situation at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom on Thursday night are not true, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Reports of a shooting or an active shooter situation at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom on Thursday night are not true, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. 

In a post on X, the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) said there was a fight, followed by a "popping" noise, possibly a balloon exploding, which reportedly caused mass panic and people to start running. 

The fight broke out near the theme park's monorail, according to an OCSO incident report. Deputies reported that one person involved in the altercation was taken to a local hospital, though their condition remains unknown.

No arrests were made, as both parties involved in the fight declined to press charges, officials said.

Fight, popped balloon led to chaos at Disney World: deputies

In a post on X, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said there was a fight, followed by a "popping" noise, possibly a balloon exploding, which reportedly caused mass panic and people to start running at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom on Thursday night.

Reports of an incident at Disney's Magic Kingdom appeared on social media shortly before 10:30 p.m.

In an incident report, the OCSO stated that deputies responded to the area around 10 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls from various locations near the park entrance about an alleged active shooter.

Officials said the callers provided "ambiguous information" about a shooting, such as: "something going on at the bus stop," "people are running towards the train," and "there is a shooter at Town Square," according to the report.

Off-duty deputies working at the park spoke with those involved in the fight and found no indications that firearms were involved. Due to the conflicting locations mentioned by the callers, park guests were kept in safeguarded areas while deputies assessed the situation.

Investigators remained on Main Street, where the alleged shooting was reported, but found no signs of distress or gunfire. There were no indications that a gun had been discharged.

Park guests did not report any injuries and were escorted off the property.

Later, while speaking with passersby as the park was being closed, deputies learned that the alleged "shots" were actually balloons being popped, the report stated.

In a statement issued around 11:30 p.m., Walt Disney World said normal operations at Magic Kingdom had since resumed and that the park is closed for the evening. Magic Kingdom was scheduled to be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday.

"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," read Disney World's statement.

Glenn Brady and his family were visiting from Kansas when the panic over a possible active shooter erupted. He said the Happily Ever After fireworks show had just finished, so the other rides, attractions, and shows in the park were closed for the night, but the stores were still open.

"We were walking down Main Street, heading out of the park, when we – my family was in one of the stores, and then all of a sudden, people came rushing into the store," he told FOX 35's Zac Prudhomme via Zoom.

Brady, briefly separated from one of his daughters, said security instructed everyone to take cover. He reunited with his wife, two daughters, and two grandchildren, who huddled together while awaiting further information.

He described the scene as chaotic, with many people crying and anxious. 

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"Some had to leave their strollers and their carts. So, we were there like 15 minutes, and then we were ushered to another location behind the store where we still remain for, like, another, 30 minutes or so until we were finally ushered out of the park," Brady explained.

Brady, a pastor, said he and his family tried to stay calm, but the uncertainty and memories of recent mass shootings fueled their fears. He expressed gratitude that no one was hurt but noted the lack of clear communication.

"I did not feel my life totally endangered. But people were praying, and we were subsequently, you know, huddled together. We were telling each other not to panic, but you can tell there were individuals that were quite upset."

Eventually, he said, the crowds were let out of the park and could return to the parking lot via the ferry or the buses. He said it appeared that the monorail was closed. Brady said he and his family made it safely back to their hotel.

"We weren't thinking about taking photos and that was not really on our minds. I'm sure there were others who may have wanted to do that, but we were more concerned about being safe among ourselves, 
letting our families subsequently know we were safe," he added.

Brady said Thursday was their last day at Disney World before heading out on a cruise, the next part of their vacation.  

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