BLYTHEWOOD – The Town’s annual Red, White, and Blue fireworks event on July 3, produced what Town officials say was the largest crowd in the event’s 10 or so year history, setting the stage for one of the biggest celebrations the town has known. Town officials estimated the crowd at 7,000 to 8,000 people, maybe more.
The Blue Dogs, a band out of Charleston, entertained. There were 15 or so food vendors; the weather was beachy; and the town’s firework display was a crowd pleaser and came off – as usual – without a hitch.
That’s not to say, however, that all went well, because it didn’t.
Some families say they ended up running from the park, running for their lives – twice – during the six-hour event as the result of incidents prior to the official fireworks celebration and again after it was over.
While it appears from eye witness accounts that only about a quarter of the park – in the restroom/playground area – was impacted by three different incidents, the evening for those affected was marred by one person leaving in an ambulance; an arrest when a teen brandished what appeared to be a rifle (but was later determined to be a splat gun shooting water beads) and fireworks being set off in the audience.
Many posted on Facebook and told The Voice that they were terrified and feared for their lives.
“We took our two small kids (ages 3 & 6) and we’re traumatized. We heard what sounded like gunfire around Doko Park. We were in a packed crowd of parents and children. Everyone in our sight started running and screaming. We snatched our 2 kids, hopped the fence and ran without shoes and hid in the dumpster area. Officers ran past with guns pointed down at the ground, ready. People were running to the train tracks, to town, to the woods, anywhere to get away. Some people laid on the ground or hid,” one Blythewood resident reported in a Facebook post.
A number of attendees who posted on Facebook later told The Voice that they became fearful as hundreds of teens roamed the quadrant of the park that included the playground area and restrooms.
Blythewood’s Interim Town Administrator Daniel Stines confirmed that the town arranged for 12 sheriff’s deputies on site during the event, based on the Sheriff’s Department’s assessment. Councilman Donald Brock told The Voice that one or two other officers may have been called in during the event. In the past, crowds at the Red, White, and Blue fireworks events have topped at about 4,000 – 5,000, according to officials.
According to eyewitnesses, some of whom asked that their names not be printed, there were three incidents occurring during and after the event. Here’s what those witnesses said:
First Incident:
“At about 8:50 p.m., prior to the Town’s 9:30 p.m. firework show, someone set off fireworks near the restrooms that made measured pop-pop-pop sounds like gunfire. A large group of teens and others in the area began running toward Langford Road. I was terrified as I ran with my 5-year-old daughter,” – Marcella Yox, Fairfield County
Second Incident:
A woman who lives in Cedar Creek told The Voice that, following the official firework show, a teen shot a Roman candle from an area near her into the crowd. Councilman Donald Brock confirmed seeing two fireworks of some kind shot into the crowd in that area. However, The Voice could not verify through the public information office at the Richland County Sheriff’s office that any fireworks had been set off in the audience.
Third Incident:
According to a Richland County Sheriff’s Department incident report, at about 10:17 p.m., June 3, following the official firework show in Doko Park while the crowd was clearing, two deputies reported observing a large crowd of between 90-100 people screaming and running from the playground and the surrounding area.
One of the officers then reported seeing an individual push his way out through the gate to the playground with what appeared to be a rifle in his hand (but later determined to be a splat gun.) The deputies then attempted to apprehend the suspect, described as a 15-year-old.
During a chase that ended at Langford Road, the suspect reportedly dropped his toy gun which was recovered by one of the officers.
The incident report noted that the officers believed the suspect and another individual were shooting at each other in the playground/restroom area with splat guns.
“This caused a crowd to run from the location and disrupted the peace and tranquility of the public at the event and could have caused injury to innocent bystanders,” the officers reported. The 15-year old suspect was tackled by the officers near the entrance to the Allstate office on Langford, across from town hall and arrested.
The teen was charged with Aggravated Breach of Peace and transported to Alvin S. Glenn detention center.
At approximately the same time, a teenage girl with what observers said was an injury to the side of her face, was wheeled on a stretcher from the park to Langford Road, then down Langford Road to the parking lot of Home Again Realty office at the intersection of Langford Road and Main Street in downtown Blythewood where she was put into an ambulance.
It was reported by witnesses that an ambulance at the park was unable to transport the girl out of the park because it was blocked by a large crowd.
The Voice was unable to verify this information with the Richland County EMS and Blythewood’s RCSD Station Six. RCSD’s public information officer responded to The Voice that there were no incident reports other than the one filed concerning the arrest of the 15-year-old male.
“The size of the crowd with the limited police presence was unsettling,” said Anna Stalnacker of Cedar Creek. “When the crowd took off after the pop pop pop sounds, I thought my husband and son-in-law were going to be trampled by the crowd. We saw the deputies chasing and tackling the teen and we saw one ambulance that couldn’t move because of the crowd and then the injured girl was rolled on the stretcher within a couple of feet of our car down Langford Road to another ambulance,” she said. “It’s unfortunate that a few poor decisions of some of the attendees affected the event. I hope that this year’s event proves to the town council that they need to re-evaluate their plans/processes to ensure safety and success for future events and for so many people.”
Lifelong Blythewood resident Jim McLean, who has served the Town on several boards including as a council member, said the event as he sees it is getting away from being a family friendly event and would like to see some changes made.
“It’s not child friendly,” McLean said.
“It doesn’t matter what [the sound] was, people want to protect their families from danger,” one woman posted on Facebook. “If it turns out that teenagers set off fireworks as a prank, there better be serious repercussions for the mass hysteria caused. It’s not a prank to make people think their children could lose their lives. I now know what it looks like for my little children and people in our community to panic and fear for their lives. I’m sick to my stomach over this.”
Blythewood’s Mayor Sloan Griffin did not respond after The Voice reached out for comment on July 5. He did issue a press release addressing the event on Tuesday, July 9.
Mayor Griffin’s Press Release
BLYTHEWOOD – On the evening of July 3, an incident at the Rocking Red, White & Blue event at Doko Meadows Park caused panic among some attendees. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) has confirmed that the disturbance was caused by a device known as a “splat gun,” a water/paintball-type gun. The sound and discharge from this device prompted alarm and confusion.
The individual responsible for this disruption was swiftly taken into custody by RCSD deputies for causing a public disturbance.
In response to this incident, the Town of Blythewood is implementing several enhanced security measures to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all our residents and visitors at future events:
- Perimeter Fencing: We will install perimeter fencing around Doko Meadows Park to aid access control.
- Clear Bag Policy: All guests will be required to bring clear bags and will go through metal detectors upon entry.
- Increased Law Enforcement: While this year’s event included additional law enforcement, Blythewood will continue to work with our Richland County Law Enforcement team to strengthen security efforts for future events to include but not be limited to an increase in officers and show of force
- Youth Admission Policy: Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is 21 years or older.
- Playground Area Use: Additional Deputies and Security personnel will be assigned to the playground area to ensure only age-appropriate users are permitted entry
- Conjuring [sic] Restrictions: There will be no congregating in unapproved areas of the park.
Mayor Sloan J. Griffin III expressed his gratitude for the quick and professional response by the Richland County Sheriff’s Deputies. “I want to thank the Richland County Sheriff’s Deputies for their prompt action in addressing the situation. Their swift response helped to mitigate the potential danger and ensured the safety of our community.”
These measures are being taken to provide a safer environment for all attendees and prevent similar incidents in the future. The Town of Blythewood remains committed to ensuring the safety and confidence of our community members.
For more information, please contact the Office of the Mayor at (803) 754-0501 or email griffin@townofblythewoodsc.gov.
