Photo courtesy WKMG Recently I shared information on some of the local Fourth of July fireworks displays outside of the Orlando area theme parks. One of the displays that I mentioned was Fireworks at the Fountain. That’s the show that is sponsored by the City of Orlando, and it’s a popular display. Tens of thousands of people attend each year.
I live near Walt Disney World, so I didn’t feel a need to run out and see Fourth of July fireworks this year. My husband and I instead decided to watch Fireworks at the Fountain live on local TV station WKMG.
Things did not go according to plan. First, the fireworks were delayed. After the show finally started, there were what at first seemed like technical problems. The video jumped back a couple of times, and then the music was gone. The fireworks continued, but the view was from just one camera. Suddenly, that stopped, and the anchor in the studio broke in.
I am not a news reporter, keep that in mind as you read what I have heard happened. You can keep up with the actual news story here. They will update the information as more is known.
Details are still coming in, but it looks like there was a scare of an active shooter at the display. There is no evidence that there was a shooter, instead it was “a noise”. Police think that someone might have brought fireworks into the crowd, and that was the sound that people heard. Thinking that shots had been fired, people panicked and fled the scene.
There were no serious injuries, although about a dozen people were treated for minor injuries that were sustained in the rush to leave. There were reports of children that were separated from their parents, but by the end of the evening all had been reunited.
The Orlando Police Department did a wonderful job of trying to find out what was going on and keeping control of the situation. An area was set up almost immediately to help people find the other members of their parties. The police department also kept everyone informed. They are asking anyone who was there to send their videos so that they can have a better idea of what caused the panic.
This whole situation is a good reminder to always have a plan. Wherever you go, decide where you will meet in case you get separated. Kids need to know their parents’ cell phone numbers, or at least have them sewed on the inside of their shirts so that they are easily accessible. Fortunately, this was just a scare. Stay safe, my friends.