The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival was evacuated and shut down Saturday night following gunfire, the Festival said.
No one was hurt, the Festival and the Fayetteville Police Department said. Officers responded to gunshots about 8:35 p.m. and found bullet holes in a car in the area of 200 Maiden Lane, just outside the Festival grounds, the Police Department said.
However, television stations CBS17 and ABC11 reported there was a second shooting nearby around 10 p.m., after the Festival had been shut down and evacuated following the 8:35 p.m. shooting. CBS17 said a man was found injured at the Liberty gas station, which is about 600 feet down Rowan Street from Festival Park.
On Sunday morning, the Festival said on Facebook that it will resume as scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. for its third and final day of this year’s event.
Anyone with information on who is responsible for the shootings can contact Fayetteville police Detective C. Cross (472) 210-2381 or the Crime Stoppers tip line at (910) 483-TIPS (8477). Information may also be submitted electronically, by visiting fay-nccrimestoppers.org.
People flee in fear
The Festival in a Facebook post on Saturday night described the shooting location as outside of its “footprint,” meaning the areas of downtown that were under its control for the event. But the shooting was close enough that multiple people commented on social media that they heard it, and said frightened festival patrons ran for safety.
“My girls are shook! One got trampled over and the other almost went into a panic attack,” Fayetteville City Council Member Courtney Banks-McLaughlin commented on her Facebook page. Banks McLaughlin posted at 8:40 p.m. that there had been a shooting. “Check on your family,” she said.
“Please be aware shots were fired, but no one has been injured. Fortunately it was not in our foot print and we are awaiting information. Fayetteville Police Department are handling the situation,” the Festival posted shortly before 9 p.m.
“Several officers were able to quickly respond to the area as they were working on assignment during the Dogwood Festival,” the Police Department said in a news release. “Once officers arrived at the scene, they located a vehicle that had been damaged by the gunfire but there were no reported injuries.”
CBS17 reported that the shooting was outside the Cumberland County Headquarters Library, which is adjacent to the Festival-controlled grounds. ABC11 has a photo of a car with what appear to be bullet holes in its hood.
Even though the shooting was technically outside of the Festival grounds, “in an abundance of caution, FPD personnel worked with the Dogwood Festival Staff to suspend operations for the evening at approximately 9:00 pm,” the Police Department said. “Officers remained in the area to assist all citizens as they were leaving the festival.”
This is the 43rd spring Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, a weekend of family-oriented activities, concerts, food, vendors, carnival rides and other activities in Festival Park and much of downtown. Saturday’s events included concert by singer Joss Ross at 7:30 p.m. A concert by singer Drew Baldridge had been scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m.
The annual Dogwood Festival normally draws many thousands of people.
Festival to resume Sunday
On Sunday morning, the Festival organiation said the event will reopen as scheduled at noon.
“Fayetteville friends, family, and every incredible soul who has given their time, talent, and heart this weekend thank you simply isn’t enough,” the Festival said on Facebook.
“The show will go on, and we cannot wait to see all your smiling faces and continue the mission of our community coming together in the most beautiful way,” it said. “We will not let last night’s situation take away from all the hard-work that has gone into planning and executing the 43rd Annual Dogwood Festival.”
Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com.
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