4th of July Shooting on the Parkway? (Philadelphia, Franklin: 2013, city hall)

[Paramorerocks558]

So, the rumor is that someone was shot, and the police are trying to hide the story as to keep the city's image from further diminish. When I was at the Metro stop, City Hall, a guy in the crowd asked what happened and the police officer said, "I has no knowledge of any shooting." The news (channel 10), claims a small bebe gun went off, and it was apprehended by police the with no arrest made. Some eye witness say they heard a gun shot, and saw a guy, later arrested by police, sitting over by the barricade of bikes in handcuffs. Other news sources claim that a biker gang set off a large firecracker that made a loud noise that sounded like a gun shot, but eye witnesses say that the sound was defiantly a gun.

So, do you think the City of Philadelphia is trying to cover up the crime as to not scare away tourist/protect its image? Or do you really believe the bebe gun situation and that the police retrieved it? Do you think the people only ran away because of fear from last year's attack? Or, do you think the media is just trying to cover this up and we'll probably never know what happened (like I do )?

[Cnote11]

I was standing at 1700 and Ben Franklin and there was a really loud growing noise from behind me at the 17th BFP intersection, when some people turned around pointing and saying a few things that sounded like, "Watch out for/Watch that over there" (or something like that) and then suddenly a large bang and next thing I know everybody is rushing toward me. Everybody ran toward the art museum for whatever reason... but I ran over to the courtyard of the verizon building, where I saw a cop in front of Wawa on Arch down on the ground. Not sure what really happened. My party escaped bloodied, but nothing too seriously, luckily.

[john_starks]

i heard it was some cats shooting fireworks

why would you bring a family to any big concert? let alone free

[rotodome]

Originally Posted by john_starks

i heard it was some cats shooting fireworks

why would you bring a family to any big concert? let alone free

Because seeing fireworks on the 4th of July seems like a thing a family should be able to do?

[RightonWalnut]

Why would they suddenly try to cover it up this year? There was a shooting last year at Love Park during the fireworks and the media certainly didn't cover that up. Like the above poster said, just months after the Boston bombings, standing in a larger crowd in any major US city, people are going to be on edge. You are standing there, watching the fireworks, when someone to the side of you lights off a firework where you don't expect one to be, you hear the loud bang, assume it is a bomb, and chaos ensues.

[mancat100]

Simple solution. Skip the Parkway on July 4th. Too many unsocialized people in one place make life miserable for the majority in the crowd who just want to have fun. Plus, unless you're lucky enough to be way in the front, you're just experiencing the concert on TV anyway, just with bigger screens.

[Pine to Vine]

Here's what the Inky says: Fireworks, nerves, prompted bedlam on Parkway

Let's investigate this conspiracy: It necessitates involvement and cooperation of the police, the papers, the local news outlets, the victims of the shooting, their families, the witnesses and various hospital attendants, to name those who come to the top of my head. Typically, the simplest explanation is the truth, but if someone thinks there is a conspiracy here, put on you your tinfoil hat and sit out on the Parkway in the sun today.

[Debbie1125]

Originally Posted by cattusbabe

Eyeroll at this stupid thread.
Does it have to be all that deep?
Does it have to be gunshots just because it's Philly?

A couple of jerks set off bombs in a crowd in Boston. That was April 15. Three months ago. Wall to wall coverage 24/7.

Someone who may be, I don't know, a little on edge being in a large crowd hears something strange at a fireworks display and makes a dash for it. Others seeing this make a dash also and so it builds. Seems reasonable to me.

But that's okay. If it works for you that it always has to be hoodrats with guns responsible for every incident happening in Philadelphia then I guess it works for you.

I agree with you. After what happened at the Boston Marathon, some people could have thought it was a bomb going off. It's perfectly understandable.

[Cnote11]

I forgot to research the event prior to going... I didn't go outside from the start of the concert to the finish for this very reason. Big crowds tend to be skittish... and apparently even more so in Philadelphia. There seems to be something that happens every year. A few years ago there was a similar stampede when people thought they heard gunshots.

Anyway, I think what really shocked the people around me was that noise behind us that was growing louder and louder, along with police activity, the sound of cars speeding at 100 MPH suddenly, people around them having reactions and big gestures toward something they didn't exactly know what, followed by the unknown bang. I think it is apt to say it was a process of building on the nerves.

[phillies2011]

Originally Posted by mancat100

Simple solution. Skip the Parkway on July 4th. Too many unsocialized people in one place make life miserable for the majority in the crowd who just want to have fun. Plus, unless you're lucky enough to be way in the front, you're just experiencing the concert on TV anyway, just with bigger screens.

I went and had a phenomenal time. The roots as always were amazing and the whole night had very fun celebration atmosphere.

I've been seeing it reported in some places that 600,000 people showed up. That's incredible. There were more people partying on the parkway two nights ago then there are people in Wyoming.

I mean the amount of people there is seriously hard to comprehend. There were 30 wells fargo centers worth of people watching a concert and Philadelphia Police were able to keep it under control and a fun time was had by all other than the negadelphians.

How about a little praise for the city and the police department for pulling this incredible event off instead of whining about a shooting that did not happen.