Man arrested after ‘gun threat’ triggers stampede at Washington Pride, leaving seven injured
Videos on social media captured the moment panic began spreading through crowds at Capital Pride on Saturday (8 June).
By Will Stroude
A man has been arrested after allegedly brandishing a BB gun during Pride in Washington, D.C. on Saturday (8 June), triggering a stampede which left seven people with minor injuries.
The man, who has been named by local outlets as 38-year-old Aftabjit Singh, is due to appear in court on Monday (10 June) after being charged with illegal possession of a BB gun, carrying a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct, the BBC reports.
Several eye witnesses reported hearing gunfire before panicked crowds began fleeing the scene, leaving seven people needing hospital treatment.
Police have since confirmed there is no evidence that shots were fired.
Images and videos shared on social media showed the moments panic began spreading through the crowds lining the streets for the annual Capital Pride Parade.
#DCPride #CapitalPride #shooting Marching in the Gay Pride parade in Washington DC. As my girlfriend and I were walking past Dupont Circle, apparently someone started shooting. I did not hear the shots, but caught the moment of the stampede. People went quickly from smiling, pic.twitter.com/oPQdIrM3dG
— Me (@beingaiden) June 9, 2019
Several people were injured at a gay pride parade in Washington on Saturday when some in the crowd ran to escape what they thought was gunfire.https://t.co/wWHqCwPTR5 pic.twitter.com/hcGugrf9SS
— euronews (@euronews) June 10, 2019
Pride-goers were seen running in their hundreds from the Dupont Circle area of the city, with people pushing over metal barriers in a bid to escape the scene.
Some witnesses later said it may have been the sound of the barriers falling that was mistaken for gunfire.
Despite the incident, Capital Pride confirmed that the rest of the weekend’s Pride celebrations would continue to take place “with safely precautions in place”.