JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The sounds of balloons popping at the Mississippi State Fair panicked a skittish crowd, leaving some people injured.
Hinds County sheriff’s Maj. Pete Luke tells the Clarion Ledger that several people physically fought at the Jackson fair grounds Friday night just before balloons began popping at a nearby game station. Luke says fairground fights usually fizzle out, but the crowd mistook the unexpected noise for gunfire, making this “a whole different story.”
He says the crowd panicked and ran. He says about 30 people were later examined by medics and several were injured, with one person possibly needing stitches.
Authorities responded to the panicked scene within minutes. Sheriff Victor Mason tells WLBT-TV that the fair is being monitored by state and local authorities.
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