Chaos erupted in Times Square on Tuesday night as people stormed out of the area when a backfiring motorcycle was mistaken for gunshots.
The false alarm took place around 10 p.m. as a loud boom sent tourists darting into restaurants and theaters, disrupting a performance of “To Kill a Mockingbird” at the Shubert Theatre on 44th Street near 7th Avenue.
“Stopped our show tonight due to a motorcycle backfire that was mistaken for a bomb or shooting,” tweeted cast member Gideon Glick.
“Screaming civilians tried to storm our theater for safety… This is the world we live in. This cannot be our world.”
The NYPD was quick to quell the fears, sending out a tweet explaining the false alarm.
“There is no #ActiveShooter in #TimesSquare,” the department’s Midtown North precinct tweeted at 10:09 p.m.
“We are receiving multiple 911 calls. Please don’t panic. The Times Square area is very safe!”
Nine people were hurt, and seven were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injures, an FDNY spokesman said.
Additional reporting by Stephanie Pagones
A woman is treated by EMS after she and others were caught in a stampede in Times Square.John Roca