Dallas police were responding Saturday afternoon to reports of a fight at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, where a national cheerleading competition was taking place.
A police log showed at least 26 units responded downtown about 1 p.m. to reports of an assist officer with ambulance call at the convention center at 650 South Griffin Street, not far from Dallas City Hall.
Law enforcement officials told The Dallas Morning News a fight broke out between adults and prompted throngs of people to leave in a rush. Some people might have been injured in the hurry to escape, the officials told The News, but police have not found evidence of gunshots. The department later confirmed there was no active shooter.
Jason Evans, a Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson, said 10 people were hospitalized with injuries officials deemed non-life threatening, ranging from bruises and scrapes to “extremity fractures.”
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We can confirm that there was no active shooter at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center. More information will follow when it becomes available.
— Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) March 1, 2025
Police officials did not immediately provide additional details about the disturbance.
Police are asking the public to stay away from the scene and set up a family reunification center at 400 North Lamar Street. About 30 to 40 people stood outside Dallas police headquarters around 3:30 p.m. to reunite with friends and family.
The disturbance prompted an emergency alert and nearby buildings to go on brief lockdowns, including the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.
People wait outside as Dallas police respond to reports of a fight at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas on Saturday, March 1, 2025. A national cheerleading competition was taking place at the convention center. (Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)
Dallas City Council Member Jesse Moreno, whose district includes the convention center, said in a statement he was made aware of the altercation, is grateful for the police response and will “stay on top of this issue” as it develops.
“I want to reassure everyone that there is no active threat at the Convention Center at this time,” Moreno said.
Families and cheerleaders were seen walking close to the convention center after the incident. Police cars and ambulances drove around the area with emergency sirens activated, several weaving in and out of heavy traffic on Interstate 30 near downtown.
Mandy Danley, 51, of Houston, was at the convention center to support her daughter, Madalyn, at the 2025 NCA All-Star National Championship, which was celebrating its 30th anniversary in Dallas. According to the Dallas Sports Commission, the event is the largest competition in the organization’s history with 1,712 teams, 30,410 athletes and 3,700 coaches from 43 states and nine countries.
Madalyn Danley, 16, recalled being in a room with her teammates when, without warning, they were ordered to drop to the floor and press themselves against the wall.
“All these people were running and just pushing each other out of the way, and I didn’t know what was happening,” Mandy Danley said.
Mandy Danley and her daughter said they were heading to the reunification location to reunite with a friend they were separated from. The friend, they added, suffered injuries during the evacuation.
Dallas police respond to reports of a fight at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas on Saturday, March 1, 2025. A national cheerleading competition was taking place at the convention center. (Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)
Natale and Darwin Buenaventura, of New Jersey, were at the convention center to watch their daughter Alaina compete. Like others, they found themselves caught in the sudden eruption of chaos as crowds began to run and scream.
Natale Buenaventura, 45, said she took her children and tried to hide. She said the situation was scary, and she could hear children crying. Alaina, 9, said she was scared by the panic.
Darwin Buenaventura, 47, said he was outside when the crush began. He ran with a crowd and said he saw a woman lying on the floor with blood near her. Darwin said she appeared to have been knocked unconscious.
Brett Talcott, 48, and his wife, Sarah Talcott, 47, of Kansas City, Kansas, had been watching the cheer competition when they sensed a shift in the crowd. Like others, they said they were unsure what happened but had heard a flurry of conflicting accounts circulating among parents and friends.
In a post on Facebook, NCA competition organizers said that the remaining events scheduled for Saturday were suspended.
“We are working with hotel staff, event staff and local authorities to ensure a safe environment,” the post reads. “We will provide any updates as we receive them.”
Brian Bianco, a spokesperson for Varsity Brands, told The News in a statement that the convention center was “evacuated as a precaution based on reports of a safety concern. NCA security officials are working with law enforcement to quickly investigate these reports.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
