Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka declared she was ‘petrified’ after being caught in a Barclays Centre stampede as fans frantically tried to leave the arena or find cover after a false alarm of a shooting outside led to panic.
Many spectators were injured in the rush as crowds reportedly ‘ran for their lives’ at the Brooklyn venue, which was hosting the boxing bout between Gervonta Davis and Rolando Romero. Fans feared there was an active shooter in the main plaza and battled to find cover, but the New York Police Department has since denied that any shots were fired.
According to ESPN’s boxing reporter Mike Coppinger, multiple people were rushed to hospital. It was reportedly a sight that broke out as the public were leaving the arena, which sparked commotion that many mistook for a shooting.
Crowds jumped to the false conclusion as the United States is still reeling from the news of two recent mass shootings in Buffalo and at a school in Uvalde, Texas. Social media videos showed crowds scrambling and another appeared to show shoes and other items on the floor in the aftermath.
Osaka was also caught up in the chaotic crowd as fans, reporters and others who came to watch the bout tried to flee as fast as they could. The four-time Grand Slam champion took to social media to say she was terrified by the experience.
“I was just in the Barclays Center and suddenly I heard shouting and saw people running, then we were being yelled at that there was an active shooter and we had to huddle in a room and close the doors, I was so f–king petrified man,” Osaka tweeted at around 1.42 am on Sunday. “I really hope everyone made it out safely, since I'm tweeting this we made it out ok.”
Close to 20,000 fans were in attendance at the New York venue on Saturday night to watch 'Tank' brutally knockout Romero in the sixth round. Davis defended his WBA lightweight title with the win and remains undefeated as a result.
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A video from Ring Magazine reporter Ryan Songalia shows crowd members desperately trying to get back in the arena, and he wrote: “Scary moment as crowds pour back into Barclays Center, my fear was a shooting but those fears proved unfounded.”
Songalia also told The New York Post: “We're used to brawls at boxing events but recent headlines and the panic of the crowd made many of us worried that our worst fears would come true.
“Thankfully we were able to return to our seats to file our stories and exit safely.”
However, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed to The Post that the active shooter report was 'inaccurate’. They said: “It's a large crowd condition. No shots fired. No one shot outside the Barclay's Center.”
