An active shooter injured three people at the State Fair of Texas Saturday night. Two viral videos show the chaotic fair evacuation from attendees’ points of view.
The people shot were hospitalized but are in stable and non-life-threatening condition, CBS News reported.
While the victims’ and shooter’s names have not been released, the Dallas Morning News reported that the shooting came about after an argument between two people who knew each other. Specifics about the dispute and their relation to one another are still unclear.
The shooting took place in a food court on the fairgrounds. The suspect, who is now in custody, attempted to flee after the shooting.
The Fair was evacuated shortly after reports of the shooting came in around 7:45pm Saturday.
Based on videos from two fairgoers, the evacuation process did not go smoothly.
In one video with more than 7.3 million views on Twitter, viewers see the perspective of a couple that’s up on the ferris wheel, scared and confused by what’s happening below.
From the top of the ferris wheel, viewers see fairgoers rushing off the premises.
The man in the video, who’s crouched down in the cart for protection, questions why the woman is standing and filming (instead of crouching for protection like him), and she states that she wants to know what “the f*ck is happening.”
In a TikTok with over 2.5 million views, a person records what it was like inside the Fair’s rodeo area. An announcer tells people to stay in their seats during the shooting and claims, “this is the safest place for you to be.”
@zapata_ricardo Active Shooter at State Fair of Texas. We were inside the rodeo #statefairoftexas #ActiveShooter #bigtex #statefair #dallastx ♬ original sound – Ricardo
Throughout the video, people are seen rushing to leave, and some even jump into the arena, which the announcers tells them not to do.
While the State Fair does not allow open-carry, fairgoers with a valid handgun license are allowed to bring a concealed firearm onto fairgrounds. Other weapons, like knives, clubs, tasers, and chemical dispensing devices, are not allowed.
“The State Fair of Texas has long been, and continues to be, a strong supporter of the rights of responsible gun-owning Texans. For that reason, the Fair has long allowed Fair attendees with valid handgun licenses to carry their handguns in a concealed manner while attending the Fair (except for locations prohibited by law),” the fair rules state.
In a tweet, Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson said the following about the shooting:
“The State Fair of Texas is a treasured event — a celebration of food, family, and fun. Although this incident was isolated, I am outraged that anyone would choose to act out violently at the Fair. We will not tolerate this behavior. I know @DallasPD, which patrols our Fair, will work with @StateFairOfTX to ensure the rest of the event is safe for everyone.”
The Fair plans to reopen Sunday at 2 p.m., they announced in a statement.
The Daily Dot reached out to the fairgoers who posted on Twitter and TikTok via direct message and to the Dallas Police Department and State Fair of Texas via email.
