Sixteen people were injured Friday evening in New York after false reports of gunfire sparked a stampede in Penn Station in midtown Manhattan.
A look at the chaos at Penn Station after Amtrak police used a Taser on a man. Details: https://t.co/4eIk8Ak0k2
Amtrak police used a taser on a man in the station, the sound of which provoked "several dozen" 911 calls reporting a shooting, NYPD Chief William Morris said at a press conference.
The man who was tased is now in police custody, Amtrak spokesperson Vernae Graham told BuzzFeed News. Graham would not provide further details as to why he was arrested.
Sixteen people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries as panicked crowds fled the station, an NYPD spokesperson said at a press conference.
People abandoned their belongings, and hid behind pillars and trash cans as they fled the pandemonium.
Aftermath of the stampede in Penn Station. It was crazy. Unclear what exactly sparked it. @NBCNewYork
"People were dropping luggage, kids, everybody was just running," a witness told NBC New York. "Everybody was really scared. It was a stampede."
The shooting rumors spread to Herald Square, where people were evacuated from the Macy's department store.
Just had to evacuate @Macys in Herald Square. Lots of cops and ambulances. Ran down 7 flight of stairs. No idea wha… https://t.co/14LuaFck7L
"We received several dozen 911 calls from Penn Station and on 34th Street from 7th avenue to Broadway," Chief Morris told reporters. "All of those calls were determined to be unfounded."
Currently at the Harold Sq @Macys - people have been ushered to 9th floor. Possible active shooter in the building?!
Penn Station had already been a chaotic scene on Friday evening due to delays and cancelations after an NJ Transit train with 1,200 passengers got stuck in a tunnel for three hours.