Fake 'gun' scare causes chaos at Florida family-friendly festival

CLERMONT, Fla. - There was a big scare this weekend at a festival in Clermont when a stampede of teenagers started running after some believed there was a gun in the crowd. Police say it was a false claim.

Clermont Police say there was no gun found or real threat at the Pig on the Pond festival in Clermont Saturday night. Some people believed there was which caused a large group of teenagers to start running.

"They were screaming, crying, they were in a panic," said Hope Medina, who had a tent at the festival. "We saw a bunch of kids running this way. It was almost like a stampede," she continued.

Police say there were two disturbances. First, there was a fight that broke out, and then the incident with the crowd running. A witness tells FOX 35 Orlando that someone had heard, 'he got a gun,' and the crowd went running.

Clermont Police say they didn't have any reports of anyone actually seeing a gun either.

"It’s scary when you see a lot of kids running, and you don’t know what’s going on," said Ariya Mobed who also had a tent at the event. "But we also saw officers running toward the action, which made us feel safe. If we didn’t see that it would have been scarier."

Some people are on high alert after seeing shootings in crowds at festivals, parades, and other events across the country recently.

This scare is similar to the one at Lake Eola on the Fourth of July. People at the event started running when some sort of loud noise sparked panic. Investigators say it was likely fireworks from nearby that spooked the crowds.

"Those disturbances can cause injuries to other people thankfully we didn’t have that last night, and we’re thankful for that," said Cpl. Ethan Bell with the Clermont Police Department.

The three-day festival ended Sunday and things ran smoothly.