Naomi Osaka, who was present during the event, tweeted that she hid after reports of an active shooter caused panic at Barclays
Photo: Alex Trautwig/Getty Images In the very early hours of Sunday, May 29, loud noises were heard outside of New York City’s Barclays Center, where fans were just starting to leave after the Gervonta Davis-Ronlando Romero boxing match. Soon, rumors of an active shooter spread throughout the crowd, causing chaos and a stampede that police say sent 10 people to the hospital.
Early reports suggested that there had been gunfire just outside of Barclays, with a Barclays Center security supervisor reportedly telling ESPN that someone with a gun was seen just outside the stadium. However, a handful of hours later, the New York City Police Department announced that there was no evidence that shots were fired in or outside of Barclays. Instead, the department told CNN, there was a “sound disturbance” that people mistook for gunfire, causing mass panic.
Tennis champion, Naomi Osaka, was also at the event and tweeted about the experience. “Suddenly I heard shouting and saw people running, then we were being yelled at that there was an active shooter,” she wrote at 1:42 a.m. Sunday. The athlete said she took refuge in a room, closed the door and huddled with her fellow guests. “I was so fucking petrified man,” she added.”
The source of the noises that seemingly sparked rumors of an active shooter remains unclear. Some reports suggest it came from outside Barclays Center, but ABC reported that police believed the noises to have been a trash can kicked over by a pumped up fan. But regardless of what caused it, the fact is that, in America, this is now an understandable response to hearing a loud banging in a public space.
Less than a week after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two adults dead in an elementary school classroom, tensions are running high. As the NRA gathered in Houston to host its annual conference, politicians doubled down on their resistance to common sense gun control measures. Even Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told attendees that any gun laws would be pointless.