Chaos, mass panic at San Francisco performance of "Hamilton"
There was chaos and mass panic at a San Francisco performance of "Hamilton" Friday night after an audience member suffered a medical emergency, police told CBS News. CBS Sacramento reporter Shirin Rajee was watching the show at the Orpheum Theatre when people ducked and ran out of the theater, with at least one person yelling "gun," she reported.
Police told CBS News a woman in the audience suffered a medical emergency at the same time there were fake gunshots on stage. According to a tweet from the theater, an audience member activated the fire pull station.
Members in the audience believed the two events were connected and began to "self-evacuate."
A San Francisco Fire Department security officer was working security at the door and responded when audience members began to evacuate. During the ensuing chaos, people were jumping in police patrol cars, fearing an active shooter, Rajee reported.
Three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the chaos, police said. The woman who suffered the medical emergency is in the hospital in critical condition.
It's unclear if the show went on. The theater tweeted the audience and cast followed the life/safety system's automatic announcement and exited the theater.
