It appears there has been another threat in the Orlando area, just days after Disney World suffered a false active shooter lockdown.
A fight and “popping” sounds sparked a panic Thursday night at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, leading to quickly dispelled rumors of an active shooter at the park.
Reports of a possible shooter began surfacing just before 10 p.m. as the park was closing.
According to an incident report released Friday by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, calls came from various locations near the park entrance, including City Hall, the bus stop, Town Square, and the monorail. However, none of the callers reported actually seeing a weapon, and no gunshot injuries were reported.
Deputies patrolling the Main Street plaza and nearby stores found no shell casings or signs of gunfire hitting any park buildings, and no witnesses reported seeing anyone get shot. The popping sounds were believed to have come from balloons, as noted by deputies speaking with guests exiting the park.
The pops apparently occurred just as a fight broke out near the monorail, but deputies found “no indications of firearms involved.” The only injury reported was to “one of the people involved in the original fight,” a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said Friday. No other injuries were reported.
Despite the absence of a shooter, rumors spread rapidly on social media, with visitors sharing videos and personal accounts of the situation. Later that night, the Sheriff’s Office used its own social media channels to dispel the rumors.
“Guests began running, and that’s how the active shooter rumor started. There is no active shooter,” the statement read. A Disney spokesperson expressed gratitude to the Sheriff’s Office for its response, and the park has since resumed normal operations.
No arrests were made following the fight, as “both parties declined to press charges,” the spokesperson added, per The Orlando Sentinel.
While the active shooter report was false, that did not stop thousands, as well as Disney, from treating the incident as fake or low-risk, as in the moment, there was no way to ensure that the pop was, in fact, not a firearm.
Even though getting a gun or weapon into Disney World is not easy due to their high-level security, it is not too shocking to hear that the crowds believed it when they were told that the pop sounded like a shooting due to the vast amount of crime and shooting reports we have seen across the country over the years.
Main Street, U.S.A., ended up going into lockdown, and thousands screamed in panic as they feared for their lives; some even lost their children while attempting to flee the park.
Inside the Magic actually spoke with a cast member who was working the night of the incident; here is their exclusive take on how the situation was handled.
Orlando as a whole receives millions of guests each month, many of whom choose Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort as their two major vacation spots.
While both theme parks do their best to ensure the safety of all guests, it is tough to control when and where guests could get into altercations in the theme park, and while that sort of behavior is not allowed and can have you kicked out of both theme park resorts, the punishment tends to only come after the fact, leaving others at risk in the interim.
Something else that many travelers must remember is that Orlando is more than just theme parks, and there can be a crisis that could affect them at any given time, not just one in the parks.
On Friday, Edgewater High School in Orlando was evacuated due to a bomb threat. Local authorities received the threat and immediately secured the campus. All buildings were thoroughly searched before the all-clear was given, per Click Orlando.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported. As the incident occurred near the regular dismissal time, students were sent home for the day.
Despite the threat, Edgewater High’s football game against The First Academy is scheduled to proceed as planned. The police department is currently investigating the unfounded threat, and further details are unavailable.
Edgewater High School is a short drive from Universal Orlando Resort, but it would take around 40 minutes to get to Walt Disney World from the school. This bomb threat did not impact any operations at either theme park, but it certainly did add to the chaos that ensued for the safety of Orlando guests and residents last weekend.
Thankfully, through both incidents, it does not appear that any injuries were reported.
Earlier this summer, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith announced a decline in violent crime in the city this year, per Fox. A recent comparison of the first quarters of 2023 and 2024 revealed significant reductions in shootings, armed robberies, homicides, and burglaries.
Chief Smith attributed these positive results to the department’s strategic approach and data-driven crime-fighting methods. The proactive efforts of patrol units and drug units, combined with a high homicide clearance rate, have contributed to these successes.
Chief Smith stressed the importance of community involvement in maintaining safety. He encouraged residents to participate in neighborhood watch programs and report suspicious activity. Additionally, he advised securing firearms to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands and being used in crimes.
Have you ever felt unsafe at any of the theme parks in Orlando?