Tennis star Naomi Osaka left ‘petrified’ after being caught up in Barclays Center stampede as ‘shooting’ sparks panic
TENNIS star Naomi Osaka has been left “petrified” after being caught up in a stampede at the Barclays Center after a false shooter alarm sparked panic.
The tennis champion had been watching the Geranto Davis-Rolando Romero fight when pandemonium broke inside the Brooklyn stadium on Sunday.
Osaka tweeted early Sunday morning: “I was just in the Barclays center and suddenly I heard shouting and saw people running.
“We were being yelled at that there was an active shooter and we had to huddle in a room and close the doors, I was so f–king petrified man.”
The Japan tennis rep made it out safely.
Scenes of carnage filled Barclays Center on Sunday after someone raised a false shooter alarm.
Several spectators were injured in the rush as crowds ran for their lives after the Geranto Davis-Rolando Romero fight, according to videos and witnesses.
Terrified fans thought there was an active shooter on the scene, but the NYPD has denied any shots were fired.
A fight broke out as the public were leaving the arena, sparking the commotion that was confused as an active shooter.
Media and production workers were still inside when the screaming crowds poured back in, boxing reporter Ryan Songalia told The Post.
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Another Twitter user wrote: “Everyone at @barclayscenter was panicking. Both my knees are bleeding from being on the floor for what seemed like 20 minutes.”
Video showed crowds scrambling and another clip appeared to show shoes and other items strewn around the arena in the aftermath.
Crowds jumped to the false conclusion that there was an active shooter as the nation recovers from the news of two recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas.
Sports Illustrated writer Chris Mannix tweeted that a sound like gunshots rang out inside, though he later said the sound may have come from outside.
“Frightening moments,” he wrote. “Hundreds of fans started to rush back into the arena from the concourse. People — including media — ducking for cover.”
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed to The Post the active shooter report is “inaccurate.”
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“It’s a large crowd condition. No shots fired. No one shot outside the Barclay’s Center.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were hurt or what the extent of their injuries were.
