Hundreds of people celebrating Pride late Sunday ran for cover after the booms of fireworks were mistaken for gunfire.
Washington Square Park was filled with revelers enjoying the last weekend of Pride Month when panic set over the crowd.
Videos circulating social media showed hundreds of partiers running in multiple directions to get out of the park around 8 p.m.
Within an hour, police confirmed no shots were fired and blamed the noises on fireworks set off nearby.
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Citywide Pride celebrations stayed joyous and peaceful for most of Sunday. Thousands lined Manhattan streets in the afternoon for the full return of the annual parade.
At the same time, the Queer Liberation March returned for another year. The event bills itself as the “antidote to the corporate-infused, police-entangled, politician-heavy Parades that now dominate Pride celebrations."
