Fight at Arkansas football game prompts stadium evacuation

An annual high school football game in Arkansas was abandoned after a stun gun was fired during a fight sending thousands of fans rushing towards the exits.

The pandemonium unfolded on Saturday evening at the 2018 Salt Bowl game where  Bryant and Benton high schools went head to head at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. 

A record 38,000 fans were in attendance at the highly anticipated game. 

But the game was suddenly halted during the third quarter when an altercation took place, popping sounds were heard, and the crowd fled towards the exits shouting ‘gun’. 

Cops later revealed that it was not firearm that raised alarm, but a stun gun that was ‘dry fired’ but the panic resulted in the stadium being evacuated.

On Saturday 38,000 fans gathered for annual high school Salt Bowl in Arkansas, but they were sent sprinting towards the exits after a fight broke out and popping sounds were heard, which police later revealed was a stun gun that was ‘dry fired’ twice

Families and fans fled the War Memorial stadium in Little Rock Saturday evening believing they heard gunshots fired. Cops say the instigators of the fight have not been identified as they too fled the scene 

Families and fans fled the War Memorial stadium in Little Rock Saturday evening believing they heard gunshots fired. Cops say the instigators of the fight have not been identified as they too fled the scene 

Shocking video from the football stadium was posted on Twitter and shows families and students yelling and sprinting towards the exits. 

Police said that the attendants fled believing gunshots were fired. They later said fans likely mistook the sound of a barricade being knocked over as shots. 

Shortly after the incident, Little Rock Police officers arrived on the scene and later confirmed that no gunshots were fired. 

‘There has been NO shooting incident at War Memorial Stadium. There was a fight that caused minor injuries. LRPD is on the scene handling this incident,’ officials announced on social media. 

Police and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism later released a statement saying that the people behind the altercation remain unknown, and it’s not clear if their confrontation was just verbal or became physical. 

They added a stun gun was deployed and ‘dry fired’ – meaning shot without ammunition – by a person attending the game, leading the crowd to believe it was a gunshot that was fired. 

Then news of ‘gun’ passed through the stadium verbally, through social media, and text messages. 

When a second ‘dry fire’ of the stun gun was fired, people began to flee on the west side of the stadium, where fans from Bryant high school were sitting.

Shocking video from the football stadium shows families and students yelling and sprinting towards the exits in the mass exodus

Cops say the instigators of the fight have not been identified as they too fled the scene

Shocking video from the football stadium shows families and students yelling and sprinting towards the exits in the mass exodus 

Little Rock Police later posted on social media that there was not a shooting incident at the stadium. They later revealed it was a stun gun that was deployed and 'dry fired' by a game attendant 

Little Rock Police later posted on social media that there was not a shooting incident at the stadium. They later revealed it was a stun gun that was deployed and ‘dry fired’ by a game attendant 

Bryant Schools, one of the teams competing int he game, applauded cops and security teams for quickly responding to the chaotic scene 

Bryant Schools, one of the teams competing int he game, applauded cops and security teams for quickly responding to the chaotic scene 

Officials said there was stadium security present and resource officers and spectators were ‘wanded’ as they entered.

The group of individuals involved in the altercation were able to leave without being identified.  

An investigation is still under way.

Several injuries were reported in the stadium’s evacuation but most were heat related. A couple people sustained minor leg and ankle injuries fleeing the stadium as well.

A teenage girl was later arrested outside of the stadium and charged as a juvenile with disorderly conduct, according to Officer Steve Moore. 

She allegedly became unruly following the chaos inside the stadium and was uncooperative with officers, according to THV11. 

The fight took place in the third quarter of the annual game and cut it short 

The fight took place in the third quarter of the annual game and cut it short 

Salt Bowl committee member Shane Broadway said he’s devastated with the incident that ended the annual game. 

‘Whoever caused it needs to be brought to justice. Kids lost tonight, kids who worked their butts off all summer long to play in a football game that means a lot to both of these communities,’ he said. 

Bryant Schools shared a statement shortly after the incident unfolded. 

‘We applaud the efforts of the War Memorial security team and staff, school resource officers from both the Bryant and Benton School Districts, and the quick response of the Little Rock Police Department during tonight’s Salt Bowl incident.’ 



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