Several videos circulating online captured cheerleaders rushing off the stage at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas after the venue was evacuated on Saturday during the National Cheerleading Association (NCA) All-Star National Championship. Some people inside the building claimed that a shooting had occurred.
Footage on social media captured people running across streets, shouting about an alleged active shooter.
NBC News reported that Dallas Police arrived at the scene around 1 pm on Saturday. “We can confirm that there was no active shooter at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center. More information will follow when it becomes available,” Dallas Police posted on X.
Varsity Brands, the organisers of the NCA cheer competition, announced that the event had been suspended for the rest of the day.
HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.
What led to the chaos?
According to an NBC News report, Dallas Police stated that a fight between two individuals at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Saturday afternoon caused multiple poles to fall, creating a loud noise inside the venue. Police confirmed that no shooting incident took place.
The noise led to panic, causing people to rush outside in a stampede, resulting in multiple non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) All-Star Championship, being held at the convention center this weekend, was expected to draw around 58,000 attendees to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A spokesperson confirmed that the competition will continue on Sunday.
NBC News reported that Brian Bianco, a spokesperson for Varsity Brands, stated, “The National Cheerleaders Association All-Star Championship will resume tomorrow.” The NCA operates under Varsity Brands’ Varsity Spirit division.
In a statement, Varsity Brands said, “As a precaution, we suspended activities for today and will continue to work with event staff and local authorities to ensure a safe environment for our athletes to finish competing when we resume tomorrow.”
Dallas police confirmed that the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center was evacuated “as a precaution.”
Authorities added that they “suspended activities for today” and would coordinate with event staff to “ensure a safe environment when we resume the event.”
Event security officials are assisting police in investigating the safety concerns reported at the venue.