Watch CBS News

Three Injured In Panicked Exit From 'Hamilton' Performance In San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- One person suffered a broken leg and two others sustained moderate injuries Friday night during a panicked exit from a performance of Hamilton at the Orpheum Theatre after a woman's medical emergency triggered fears of a shot being fired.

CBS Sacramento reporter Shirin Rajaee was watching the show when she saw people duck and run out of the theater. Police at the scene told Rajaee that a woman was having a heart attack.

 

Someone used an automated external defibrillator to help the victim, triggering an alarm and resulting in confusion and mass exit of people from the theater, according to the San Francisco Fire Department.

"An adult had a medical emergency at the Orpheum theater. An AED was pulled which also triggered an alarm during the Hamilton play," officials tweeted. "This resulted in confusion, and an un-organized rapid exit of the theater."

"It was pretty terrifying to witness," Rajaee said of the wild rush for the exits. "People were actively exiting the theater, jumping into police cars thinking there was an active shooter."

The fire department and the San Francisco Police Department responded to the incident and confirmed it was not due to an intentional act.

Laura Lasnier was there with her two children, ages 6 and 9.

"I was there with my 6 and 9 year old," she tweeted. "Thank you for your rapid response. And thank you for acknowledging that this was an 'un-organized rapid exit.' We received absolutely no support, guidance, or information from any Orpheum staff. Extremely disheartened with @shnsf"

The woman who suffered the medical emergency was revived and was in critical condition Friday night, according to the fire department.

The theater repopulated following the incident but the show was canceled.

© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.