Jul. 6—Flocks of panicked people fled Riverfront Park late Friday after false reports of an active shooter quickly spread through the crowd.
The fear in the crowd apparently was sparked by a misunderstanding of an “altercation” near the Clocktower, Spokane police said in a news release. Officers initially were told a gun may have been seen but no shots were fired. When they contacted a male believed to be involved, he was unarmed and “no victim came forward.” No arrests were made. And police found no evidence a shot was fired.
Just after 10 p.m., the band MasterClass was finishing up its set in the Lilac Bowl, east of where Washington Street cuts through the park, when people began to rush from the west. Some yelled that there was an active shooter, possibly in response to the altercation, the news release said. With the band still playing and fireworks just beginning, many of those sitting on picnic blankets began to flee grabbing their children and belongings. Meanwhile, someone on stage warned the crowd via microphone to take cover.
A minute or two later, the fireworks halted as sirens began to sound in the background.
Officers, some in tactical gear, quickly responded to the Clocktower. About 10 minutes after the initial rush of the crowd, police announced near the Clocktower that there had not been a shooting and that fireworks would resume.
Some ran to Osprey Restaurant & Bar on N. Division, said Mackenzie McFadden, who was tending to customers outside when the panic began.
“Our patio was completely full,” she said, “and we had people also along the sidewalk area — probably 60 or so outside watching the fireworks.”
McFadden recalled a man running down the street “screaming active shooter.” She and her colleagues quickly cleared the patio and guided everyone in the vicinity inside.
“We had kids even hiding behind our bar area as well to keep them safe. It was hectic,” said McFadden, who has worked at Osprey for two months.
The restaurant decided to close at 10:30 p.m. and was forced to comp many meals. Most people did not wish to return, she added, even once the reports were deemed untrue.
Friday’s false reports of a mass shooter follow the shooting of three firefighters in Coeur d’Alene less than a week earlier. In May 2024, the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade in downtown Spokane was rerouted after a shooting at a convenience store along the route.
Tara and Todd Huffman, of Nampa, Idaho, were in the Riverfront Park crowd not far from the Clocktower when they heard something that sounded like a firecracker.
“Someone said, ‘Did you hear that pop?’ and then suddenly people just started running that way, in all directions,” Tara Huffman said.
The Huffmans didn’t flee because they were confident that there was no danger, but they said at least half the crowd began to leave in short order.
“They didn’t even know what they were running from,” Todd Huffman said.
Some in the crowd said they experienced panic and rushing people. Others experienced an exit that was more orderly.
By the time fireworks restarted before 10:30 p.m., there was only a scattering of people left. Even many of those still in the park who knew the report was false were no longer in the mood for patriotic revelry and continued to leave.
Caroline Saint James’ ‘s reporting was funded by Comma’s First Amendment Club.