Alarming events unfolded on the first of September at the New York State Exhibition, as recalled by Adriana Briseno. When she saw two officers dash past her on the Midway, she had her first inkling of impending chaos. Soon after, a flood of frantic people surged towards Briseno, her daughter, and her boyfriend’s son. Acting instinctively, she corralled the children closer, shielding them with her body, and let the crowd guide them to safety.
Various spectators recounted their stories to syracuse.com about the horribly disrupted Sunday evening, sparked by consecutive suspicions of gunfire on the fairgrounds. The initial notification was logged in at 8:38 p.m. from an area between the Suburban Park concert stage and the Midway where Rick Ross entertained an estimated crowd of 39,000. At 8:41 p.m. a further report originated from The Eatery, located at the opposing end of the fairgrounds.
Attendees expressed a desire for the state police administration and the fair director to provide more transparency about the occurrence and the intended ways to bolster security. However, amidst the rollercoaster of emotions, there were traces of human compassion. Some fleeing fairgoers highlighted the actions of empathetic strangers who worked to soothe scared children, deploy shelter, and reunite families.
During the tumult, Briseno and the two children initially took refuge behind a colossal, black Dumpster. Bridging the gap between fear and protection, they relocated to a Henna tattoo booth. Underneath a table, the children found cover while Briseno threw herself on top of them for added safety.
Gratitude colored Briseno’s account of her interactions with the woman who operated the booth. A guiding hand in the chaos, the woman was instrumental in calming Briseno’s visibly perturbed daughter. She reinforced the child’s courage by telling her that she had acted precisely as she should have. Similar accounts of kindness came from other vendors who stepped up to ensure the attendees’ safety.
After the chaos subsided, Briseno was reunited with her boyfriend and his son who had been on another part of the Midway. Attending the fair was a long-held custom in her family and an opportunity for young members to experience this cornerstone of their traditions.
A familiar visitor, Taylor Fanizzi, 28, was partaking in the fair, a time-honored tradition that included her younger sister’s first visit at the age of 10. The visit included cherished fair activities like savouring a 25-cent cup of milk, admiring the butter sculpture, and winning a stuffed animal on the Midway. Their joyful evening took a drastic turn as they headed towards the Pizze Fritte stand.
As the surprises came to an abrupt end, Fanizzi received a call from her elder sister who was at the Rick Ross concert. It turned out that the fun had taken a chilling turn with sounds suggestive of gunfire. Upon hearing this, Fanizzi, her fiancée, her mother, and her younger sister hastily sought the exits. But they were far from alone. Confronted by a fast approaching suge of panic-stricken fairgoers near the Dairy Products Building, fear seemed to grip everyone.
Having managed to escape through Gate 3, they awaited their ride home. Their worrying anticipation for the sister caught in the concert crowd was palpable, especially for Fanizzi’s youngest sister. The terror reflected in her expression was a moment indelibly etched in their memory.
Daniel Sheehan’s teenage daughters encountered their first job at the fair that year, an experience marred by the horrifying events. When one of his daughters contacted him around 8:45 p.m., her terrified voice suggested the possibility of an active shooter. Tense and worried, Sheehan suggested that she ‘get small’ and stay as quiet as possible. His heart ached as he tried to reach his other daughter who had scampered with a friend to seek safe shelter.
A seasoned fair attendee, Kayla MacDonald was enjoying her meal with her family when waves of people started running from the Midway. A teenager informed her boyfriend about ‘somebody shooting’ and panic ensued. MacDonald and her family found sanctuary at The Eatery where a vendor let them take cover behind their booth. The area was eventually cleared by law enforcement, leading to their exit from the fairgrounds.
Brian Francati was part of the many drawn to the Rick Ross concert. Driving from Rochester with his girlfriend, his two daughters, and their friends, all he expected was an enjoyable evening. However, a sudden ripple in the crowd and rumors of a gun changed everything. The massive reactionary exodus seemed to him like a ‘force of nature’, and the only choice was to escape the chaos or face the risk of being knocked down.
The experience left each family member shaken in distinct ways. Francati’s girlfriend lost her phone in the commotion, leaving him as the only contact for their daughters. His younger daughter, only 13, was traumatised and in tears, lost amid the chaos. The heart-wrenching experience served as a harsh critique of the event administration, lamenting that a beautiful tradition had turned into a traumatic ordeal.