Social: Thousands Flee As Motorcycle Backfire Causes Panic In Times Square

By: Aug. 06, 2019
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

There was widespread panic in the theatre district tonight when crowds mistook a motorcycle backfire for gunshots.

According to the NYC Police Scanner, thousands of people panicked in what reports have called a 'stampede' out of Times Square following the backfire.

NYPD on the scene have confirmed a group of passing motorcycles as the source of the sound.

Several Broadway shows reported interruptions as the incident unfolded. Andrew Barth Feldman, star of Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen, described the scene inside the the Music Box Theater on Twitter.

The show came to a halt over at the hit production of To Kill A Mockingbird, when panicked tourists attempted to enter the theatre for safety.

Other actors and eyewitnesses shared their experiences during the panic on social media:



Videos