Fight in stands set off panic

A report from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism reveals a fight in the stands, which included a stun gun, set off the initial panic Aug. 25 during a high school football game between Bryant and Benton at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

The report, obtained Wednesday by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, said panic and confusion spread quickly among the crowd of 38,000 on hand to watch the Salt Bowl, an annual matchup between the Saline County rivals.

That led to a “mass panic situation,” with an estimated 25,000 spectators eventually fleeing in fear an active shooter was in the stadium, according to the report.

The report said no evidence was found of any shots being fired during the panic, and no shooter was ever confirmed. No charges have been filed against any of people involved in the altercation and none are expected, Arkansas Parks and Tourism Executive Director Kane Webb said Wednesday.

Officials said the incident began when a fight between about 10 male youths broke out around 9:05 p.m. in the stadium, near the top of the bleachers in Section 21, and one of the individuals pulled out a stun gun.

Multiple spectators in the section saw the stun gun and began yelling “Gun, Gun,” which led to hundreds of spectators running north in the stadium stands.

The group involved in the altercation entered the stadium corridor and ran north past the concession stands, yelling “Gun, Gun,” the report said. The person with the stun gun continued to activate it as he ran through a corridor, and touched a juvenile girl on the back of her upper thigh with the stun gun as he passed her.