Cheer competition in Texas resumes after fight among parents, not a shooting | Law Enforcement Today

DALLAS, TX - On Saturday, March 1st, a heavy police response to the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center led to halt of the annual NCA All-Star National Championship after a fight among parents led to panic in Downtown Dallas.

According to WFAA, Dallas Police responded to the convention center where sources said that parents attending the cheer competition were fighting. At the time, numerous social media users expressed concerns that a possible shooting took place. However, police have confirmed that no shots were fired. On X, Dallas police reiterated that there was not an active shooter.

In a press release sent out via email Saturday afternoon, Dallas police said officers responded to an active shooter call. Their investigation determined that a fight broke out between two people, causing multiple poles to be knocked down and loud noises. Those noises contributed to panic inside the building, prompting people to rush outside in a stampede.

Dallas police said there were multiple non-life-threatening injuries during the chaos. CBS News reported that Dallas Fire-Rescue said 10 people were taken to the hospital. Dallas-Fire Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said, "All of the injuries were sustained during the evacuation, and none were life-threatening. They ranged in severity from bumps and bruises to extremity fractures."

People were seen running across the streets of downtown away from the convention center. After the initial investigation concluded, the competition resumed at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 2nd with "athletes and our crowd in good spirits," as noted by Varsity Brands, the organization that runs the NCA cheer competition.

The NCA cheer event has drawn thousands of cheerleaders and their families to Downtown Dallas. Several families attending the event said that many other families and athletes elected not to return to the competition. 

After the incident, Varsity Brands issued the following statement: "Earlier today, the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center was evacuated as a precaution based on reports of a safety concern. NCA security officials immediately began working with the Dallas Police Department to quickly investigate, which found that the incident was triggered by an altercation between two attendees, which led to panic and multiple non-life-threatening injuries in the aftermath.

We want to thank the Dallas Police Department for their help assessing and controlling the situation as well as the first responders who assisted those impacted. As a precaution, we suspended activities for today and will continue to work with event staff and local authorities to ensure a safe environment for our athletes to finish competing when we resume tomorrow."

As of this writing, no arrests have been made. Dallas Police Department spokeswoman Melinda Gutierrez said that the investigation is ongoing. She said, "All the available information has been released."