The sound of motorcycles backfiring sparked panic in New York City's Times Square on Tuesday night, the New York Post is reporting.
People, convinced the sounds were gunshots, rushed into restaurants and theaters in an effort to take cover. A performance of "To Kill a Mockingbird" was even disrupted.
Cast member Gideon Glick tweeted:
"Stopped our show tonight due to a motorcycle backfire that was mistaken for a bomb or a shooting. Screaming civilians tried to storm our theater for safety. The audience started screaming and the cast fled the stage. This is the world we live in. This cannot be our world."
And police, in an effort to stop the panic, sent out a tweet:
"There is no #ActiveShooter in #TimesSquare. Motorcycles backfiring while passing through sounded like gun shots.
"We are receiving multiple 911 calls. Please don't panic. The Times Square area is very safe!"
CNN noted the scare came after a weekend of two mass shootings left a combined total of at least 31 people dead.
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