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Fears of active shooters at the Pride events in New York and San Francisco caused chaos on Sunday, overshadowing the celebrations amid heightened concerns about previous shootings in LGBTQ spaces and the frequency of mass shootings in the United States.
New York police said on Twitter that there were “NO shots” in Washington Square Park, the center of the festivities in the city, after loud noises made crowds flee and almost caused a collision. “After an investigation, it was established that the sound was fireworks triggered on the spot,” police said.
During the New York Pride Weekend, a noticeable cloud from the Supreme Court
As many of Pride’s events, which often take place in June, return this year for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, extremism researchers have highlighted the increased risk.
President Biden warned last month of “growing hatred and violence” targeting LGBTQ communities. Two people were killed in a shooting at a gay bar in Oslo on Saturday, and Idaho police thwarted a plot this month by affiliates of a white supremacy group to disrupt Pride’s celebration in a park.
Concerns about gun violence against LBTQ people continue after a shooting at a gay bar in Orlando in 2016 killed 49 people. A series of mass shootings this year, including in Buffalo and Uwalde, Texas, have raised tensions across the country.
On June 26, fears of active shooters at the Pride events in New York and San Francisco caused chaos as people ran in all directions. (Video: The Washington Post)
In San Francisco on Saturday, officers patrolling the area of the city’s Civic Center, where the San Francisco Pride Festival was held, responded to reports of gunfire around 5:30 p.m. “They were unable to find victims or witnesses,” said Catherine Winters, a spokeswoman and LGBTQ liaison for the department, according to an email to The Washington Post.
“Currently, there does not appear to have been any credit for the shooting in the area, and staff remain on the scene to ensure the safety and security of Pride events,” she said.
Kylie Robison, a San Francisco resident and reporter for the Insider news site, tweeted that she was at the event and saw people “screaming, running away, saying there were shots.”
She wrote that she started running with the crowd, adding: “It’s just wild to live in a country where we’re all ready to run or die like that.”
In a statement answering questions about unconfirmed social media reports of tear gas or bear spray used by police as crowds flocked, Winters said: “There was no shooting, I’m confused why you would ask for tear gas. However, the San Francisco Police Department does not use tear gas to disperse crowds.
She added: “SFPD does not use tear gas and is not equipped with ‘bear gas’. Without anything more than vague messages on social media, we can’t comment further. “
Law enforcement has been criticized for using tear gas, pepper spray and similar products as a means of crowd control, including protests in Portland, Oregon, and near the White House in 2020. Turkish police use tear gas against Pride participants parade in Istanbul last summer.
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