Shooting scare at San Francisco ’Hamilton’ sends theater into panic
Theater-goers experienced mass panic at last evening’s Hamilton show after the audience mistook a medical emergency as an active shooter. According to journalist Joe Khalil, chaos broke out once San Francisco audience members started shouting “Gun!” and running out of the theater.
According to Khalil and the San Francisco Police Department, the actual emergency at hand was a heart attack. Police believe another audience member earnestly thought the person who experienced the heart attack had been shot.
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Our #Hamilton show ended in a mass panic. Members of the audience started screaming and running, shouts of “gun” could be heard. The entire theater cleared out. Theater staff tells us it was actually one person who suffered a medical emergency. Someone misconstrued the situation pic.twitter.com/5RoeJhwdOm
— Joe Khalil (@JoeKhalilTV) February 16, 2019
SFPD here on scene tell us someone had a heart attack, and someone else in the audience thought that person may have been shot. Everything seems calm now, again just a lot of people shaken up @FOX40 pic.twitter.com/kPsjyz0bgG
— Joe Khalil (@JoeKhalilTV) February 16, 2019
As a result of the shooting scare at the Orpheum Theater, Khalil reports that four people were injured, including the person with the heart attack. Two suffer from minor injuries, while one has a broken leg.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, all four were sent to the hospital.
I just overheard a medical responder say 3 people transported to the hospital, 4 total injured including the original medical emergency that prompted the mass panic/evacuation of the theater #Hamilton @FOX40 pic.twitter.com/AAdoSLVzMC
— Joe Khalil (@JoeKhalilTV) February 16, 2019
***BREAKING 2/3*** were injured, one with a broken leg, and 2 with moderate injuries. @SFPD AND @SFFDPIO responded and confirmed that the incident was not an intentional act, and started the mitigation process. The @SF_emergency was also contacted and was standing by if needed.
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT (@SFFDPIO) February 16, 2019
However, the original heart attack victim is in critical condition, according to the San Francisco Fire Department.
***BREAKING*** 3/3 currently , the theater is repopulating. All 4 adults have been taken to area hospitals. The original patient who required an AED had a return of pulses with CPR and paramedic and remains in critical condition.
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT (@SFFDPIO) February 16, 2019
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While the instance was just a false alarm, the panic and terror was very real, according to Twitter. Check out some of the first-hand accounts below.
Mass Chaos at tonight’s performance of Hamilton at the Orpheum Theater in SF. We all ducked and ran out of the theater, one person was yelling “gun.” Everyone’s safe but a lot of panic. Really terrifying. Turned out to be a false alarm, a medical emergency.
— Shirin Rajaee (@ShirinRajaee) February 16, 2019
Hamilton cast walking back to the theater after a medical emergency panicked our audience. #hamilton #shnsf #HamiltonSF pic.twitter.com/P1E7BH84hN
— Sam (@sam1sf) February 16, 2019
Why do you think the audience reacted that way? Do you think mass shootings have put our country in a constant state of fear? Sound off in the comments below.
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