Chaos Erupts at Dallas Cheerleading Competition

Authorities have urged the public to steer clear of downtown Dallas after a commotion at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. On Saturday afternoon, the Dallas police responded to reports of a brawl at the venue, where a national cheerleading competition was underway. A police report detailed the arrival of at least 26 units around 1 p.m. following an officer assistance call involving an ambulance at the site, located at 650 South Griffin Street, close to Dallas City Hall. Officials informed The Dallas Morning News that a fight broke out among adults, causing crowds to hurriedly evacuate. While some may have sustained injuries in the chaos, police have found no evidence of gunfire. They later confirmed that there was no active shooter situation. A spokesperson for Dallas Fire-Rescue diverted questions about the emergency response back to the police, who have provided limited details on the incident. Law enforcement has established a family reunification center at 400 North Lamar Street and is advising people to avoid the area.

The fracas led to an emergency alert and triggered lockdowns in nearby buildings, including the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. After the incident, families and cheerleaders were seen moving close to the convention center, while police cars and ambulances navigated through congested traffic on Interstate 30 with sirens blaring. Mandy Danley, 51, from Houston, was at the center supporting her daughter, Madalyn, at the 2025 NCA All-Star National Championship, celebrating its 30th year in Dallas. As per the Dallas Sports Commission, the event marked the largest in the organization’s history, drawing 1,712 teams, 30,410 athletes, and 3,700 coaches from 43 states and nine countries. Madalyn, 16, recalled being in a room with her team when they were suddenly instructed to drop to the floor and hug the wall. “Everyone was running and shoving, and I had no clue what was happening,” shared Mandy. She and her daughter were making their way to the reunification center to meet a friend they got separated from, who was injured during the dash.

Natale and Darwin Buenaventura of New Jersey were present to watch their daughter Alaina compete. They were unexpectedly caught up in the turmoil as crowds started screaming and sprinting. Natale, 45, grabbed her children and looked for a hiding place, describing the terrifying scene filled with crying children. Nine-year-old Alaina was frightened by the panic surrounding her. Darwin, 47, who was outside when the chaos erupted, joined the fleeing crowd and later witnessed a woman lying on the ground with visible blood, apparently knocked unconscious. Following these events, NCA organizers announced on Facebook that all remaining competitions planned for Saturday were suspended.