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Eyewitnesses recall apparent shooting at Musikfest in Bethlehem that sent attendees scrambling

Apparent shooting at Musikfest in Bethlehem sends crowd into panic
Apparent shooting at Musikfest in Bethlehem sends crowd into panic 02:07

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (CBS) -- Music filled Bethlehem Sunday one day after eyewitnesses say a single gunshot sent people running for safety. The incident happened on Saturday night inside Musikfest.

Officials have yet to say exactly what happened at Musikfest or if anyone was struck, but one eyewitness says he heard the shot and then moments later panic ensued. 

"It was a bang that everybody could hear," Andrew Zachmeyer, an eyewitness, said.  

Zackmeyer was finishing his shift at the concession booth just before 11 p.m. on Saturday when he says a single gunshot shattered the celebration inside Musikfest in Bethlehem.

"We run out like here and everyone is yelling at us, 'Get back, get back,'" Zachmeyer said. 

Zachmeyer, like hundreds in the crowd, frantically tried to find a safe place to shelter. As he ran back into his tent, he says he noticed a little girl with her mom.

"Her mom grabbed her with one arm and dove underneath the table and they were in between boxes in the end of the sheet and they were sticking out so I was like, 'You guys come over here,'" Zachmeyer said. 

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"As people were running up the street they were saying someone got shot," Shanna Tarboro, a second eyewitness, said. 

Tarboro lives next to the festival grounds near Main and Lehigh Streets where two girls hid between several parked cars for cover.

"They just kind of ran in between the cars and hid," Tarboro said. "They were crouching down and they were kind of looking around and trying to peek around the cars and see what was following them." 

In a statement, Bethlehem city police haven't said if anyone was injured. They called what happened an "isolated incident," adding "as a precaution, the festival was shut down for the safety of patrons."

On Sunday, festival goers say they did notice additional security. 

"We were here last week, there were not that many police," Evie Joy, a performer, said.  

"There are definitely more cops, a lot of cops here," Zachmeyer said.

As many still wait to learn exactly what happened, for now, they say the show must go on.

"These days, you live with that reality that these things can happen, but I think you have to live," Ray Alba, an eyewitness, said. 

The FBI was also on-site Saturday night investigating. 

CBS3 reached out to the District Attorney to learn if anyone is in custody or if any charges are pending, but we have yet to hear back. 

Police are asking you to contact them if you have any information about the incident. The Bethlehem Police Tipline can be reached at 610-997-6660 or email Detective Klingborg at nklingborg@bethlehem-pa.gov.

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