On Saturday, the 2025 NCA All-Star National Championship, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center was abruptly brought to a halt after a fight broke out, leading to a mass panic. A loud noise, caused by several poles toppling over, was mistaken for gunshots, according to Dallas police, which sparked fears of an active shooter among the attendees. The event, one of the most significant in the competitive cheer season, drew a large crowd with more than 58,000 people, including participants ranging from toddlers to college students, as reported by Click2Houston.
The ensuing chaos led to a "stampede" as attendees rushed for the exits. Dallas Fire-Rescue transported 10 individuals to the hospital with injuries that were non-life-threatening; they ranged from bumps, bruises, to extremity fractures, per CBS News. The cheerleaders were quickly separated from their parents due to the panic, prompting officials to set up a reunification center near the convention space.
Dallas police swiftly addressed the situation confirming that there was neither an active shooter present nor were shots fired. Despite completion of competitions prior to the incident, events for the day were suspended, and NCA officials have affirmed that the event will resume on Sunday.
"I tripped and then had people step on me and then I ran a mile past the Alamo Cinema – a mile past that – and I hid in a dumpster," Destiny Hinton, a cheerleader, recounted the terrifying experience in an interview with CBS News. Makayla Cossey, a cheer mom, expressed her extreme fright, "The moms were sitting there and all I know was we were just looking around and people were screaming – running, jumping off all the bleachers." When the panic ensued, Joyce Sterling described the scene as complete chaos, "She (her daughter) was in all-out panic trying to find me. She was like, 'I'm outside, I'm outside.' We were still inside, and we saw people running everywhere. It was just mayhem. It was crazy," Sterling told CBS News.
The Dallas Police Department stated that the investigation of the incident is continuing. Brian Bianco, senior director of strategic communications for Varsity Brands, confirmed that NCA security personnel are collaborating with local law enforcement to assess the day's events and ensure the safety of the participants and the attendees as activities are scheduled to proceed, as per CBS News.
