Yuba City False Alarm Raises Concerns Of Fear From Recent Mass Shootings

YUBA CITY (CBS13) — Those who attended the Yuba-Sutter Fair on Sunday night said it was peaceful until about 10:15 p.m.

"I looked over and there was literally a whole wall of people. Everybody was running towards like the main entrance," Johnny Matthews said. "And they are shoving people, pushing, just knocking people over and screaming about shooting."

Nina Barton said one word and what was believed to be loud bangs set off the stampede.

"Then we just see people running from the derby area and then all the sudden we see them running and somebody just says shooter," Barton said.

The fear seemed to have come out of panic. Sergeant Josh Clements with California Highway Patrol said both Yuba City Police and CHP officers at the fair didn't hear any shots ring out.

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"There was nothing that was substantiated in terms of the shots being fired and the parties over detained, they were not armed," Clements said.

Barton said this situation in Yuba City could be an example of how situations like the mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, El Paso, Texas and Gilroy, California are impacting the rest of the country.

"It's happening all over the place so it's really hard to say that someone overreacted or under you don't want to mean? Unfortunately, you just don't know," Barton said. "In all honesty, I was concerned that the kids that were around me got to their parents."

Clements said people can be experiencing more fear at these events following the recent mass shootings.

"That's just kind of our natural instinct. We respond what we hear what we see and what we perceive," Clements said.

Itzel Cordova, another fairgoer, said that's a very real feeling.

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"People can always be at the wrong place at the wrong time," Cordova said. "And it feels like you can't go anywhere anymore. People hear that because anything can happen in a matter of seconds."

Clements said people need to be mindful of everything around themselves. Barton's taking this advice. She also told CBS13 that she's taught her daughters another lesson when it comes to dealing with this kind of fear, memorizing important contact information like Barton's and her husband's in case they are ever separated in an emergency.

"Because the thing is if they're lost somewhere and you go to a big event and everyone is rushing they're going to get lost," Barton said. "And you can't sit there in harm's way trying to find them."

Barton wants her kids to be able to overcome the fear that's been felt right now following the recent mass shootings and the Yuba City situation.

"It makes it hard to go back but at the same time you don't want to be fearful," Barton said.