False alarm during event at Dallas City Hall prompts massive police response

A scare at Dallas City Hall Saturday night caused a panic and massive police response.

It happened at an event called the Henny Thing Fest, billed as a family-friendly celebration of Cognac, food, culture and entertainment on the City Hall Plaza. Shortly before 7 P.M. police say a fight broke out between two men. 

"I didn't hear anything. I heard the music and then saw bunch of people running,” said attendee Latoya Beecham.

Dallas Police say event staff members broke up the fight. The staff-members along with off-duty Dallas Police officers were escorting the men from the property, when someone yelled “gun”. That caused the crowd of thousands to panic and run.

"One person saw somebody else run and it caused a chain reaction,” said Beecham.

Outside the event, police say individuals began shouting “shots fired” causing further panic and prompting a city-wide assist, pulling in more than one-hundred officers to set up a perimeter.

Some event-goers were angry the event was being shut down and tensions ran high among some calling the officers names, including shouting the name of a Dallas Police officer who was recently arrested, charged and fired for shooting and killing a man who she thought was in her apartment.

"We came out here, I don't know what happened exactly, but I know the promoter did not make no calls to shut this party down.  I spent 3 thousand dollars VIP.  I don't know how I'm going to get my money," said attendee DeMontre Gaston.

Police say no actual shots were fired, no injuries have been reported and no arrests were made.