False reports of a shooting at Penn Station created chaos on Friday evening, with hundreds of passengers scattering down the street at Macy’s Herald Square in Midtown Manhattan.
What Happened?
According to PIX11 News, Amtrak police used a taser on an individual whom they were trying to subdue. Commuters who saw the incident immediately assumed there was a gun involved.
NYPD’s Assistant Commissioner for Communication and Public Information, J. Peter Donald, confirmed that “bad information” was spread on social media after the incident occurred.
MTA confirmed that two individuals were taken into custody for “disobeying orders.” The taser was used on one of them.
Bad information. No shots have been fired at Penn Station. @NYPDMTS @NYPDSpecialops @Amtrak https://t.co/nfrGfBnUTQ
— J. Peter Donald (@JPeterDonald) April 14, 2017
Mayor Bill de Blasio also confirmed that “no shots were fired at Penn Station.”
No shots were fired at Penn Station this evening. FDNY is on scene treating injuries that were sustained during panic.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 14, 2017
Twitter users claimed a stampede of people were rushing out of the station around 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
A look at the chaos at Penn Station after Amtrak police used a Taser on a man. Details: https://t.co/4eIk8Ak0k2 pic.twitter.com/RjcuwGX7NR
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) April 14, 2017
Within an hour, reports of shots being fired at Macy’s Herald Square created chaos at the flagship store, just a few blocks away from Penn Station. According to the Daily Star, eyewitness saw a SWAT team of armed cops arrive on the scene.
https://twitter.com/BrianaElizab/status/853019051907571712
Being evacuated off 34th street between Herald Square, and 7th Ave due to someone w/ a gun on the street.
— 🦋 Mizzen 🦋 (@SDMizzen) April 14, 2017
Sitting in Herald Square park and suddenly terrified shoppers begin pushing each other out of the Macy's, fleeing – "gun shots," they shout
— Phoebe Lett is logging off and taking a breath (@phoebelett) April 14, 2017
In a tweet, Donald said “numerous” calls for shots fired in and around Macy’s on 34th Street.
Additionally, we have responded to numerous calls for shots fired in & around @Macys on 34th Street in Manhattan. All are unfounded
— J. Peter Donald (@JPeterDonald) April 14, 2017
The multiple reports of an active shooter & shots fired in & around @Macys #HeraldSquare are UNFOUNDED at this time.@NYPDMTS
— NYPDCounterterrorism (@NYPDCT) April 14, 2017
Confused, Macy’s shoppers and staff ran from the building looking for a place to take cover, until police declared the scene all clear.
A shopper inside Macy’s told PIX11 News she was about to pay out when a rush of people swarmed towards the exits. She and several employees hid in a stairwell until they could leave safely.
I’m fine btw. Quickly ran down 7 flights of stairs. Headed down to Herald Square subway. @Macys did a great job evacuating #nyc #macys pic.twitter.com/2ysOD9Xoyp
— Betsy Weber (@betsyweber) April 14, 2017
Macy's on lockdown after #shooter inside #newyorkcity fear & tears on faces of fleeing pic.twitter.com/EZ8RyxBVLZ
— Jason Kuffer (@jasonkuffer) April 14, 2017
Just had to evacuate @Macys in Herald Square. Lots of cops and ambulances. Ran down 7 flight of stairs. No idea what’s going on #nyc #macys pic.twitter.com/uRhNDMjMr5
— Betsy Weber (@betsyweber) April 14, 2017
Another woman took to Twitter, posting a picture of a pack of shoppers crammed into a hallway near the elevators.
https://twitter.com/VisitorsPass/status/853021236548562944
Just 30 minutes before the incident, more than 1,200 Amtrak passengers were trapped due to a short in the power supply. Trains were delayed 90 minutes.
Where Did It Happen?
False reports of a shooting at Penn Station created chaos on 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan.
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This is a developing story, please refresh for updates.
