Authorities were at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park to investigate a drive-by shooting outside the theme park Friday night, officials said.
There was no active shooter situation, but at least one person was wounded and three others were hospitalized with unknown injures, according to Buena Park police and Orange County fire officials.
The shots were fired from Beach Boulevard near La Palma Avenue around 8:40 p.m., police said.
The sound of gunfire sent people inside the park running for the exits, with some even jumping fences to escape.
Carol Myers, who was in the park at the time, described the scene as “mayhem.”
“No one knew if they should go toward the front of the park, no one knew if they should go to the back of the park,” Myers said in a phone interview. “And I feel so bad because there are people outside right now, stopping cars saying, ‘I can’t find my children. I lost my children.’”
Knott’s staff assisted one person who was injured outside the park’s gates and transported to a local hospital, according to a tweet from the theme park.
A teenager named Jayden told KTLA it was his friend who was shot by a man who began firing at people as they were exiting the park.
“I just ran, because I wasn’t trying to get shot,” he said.
Jayden said he later met up with his wounded friend and tried to comfort him.
Aerial video of the scene showed multiple ambulances stationed outside the park gates with several people sitting nearby. Police cars were also stationed throughout the area, some blocking traffic around the park entrances.
Juan Mendoza said his daughter and niece were lost for a time in the chaos, but he was able to locate them unharmed.
“You see it happen everywhere else, and when it hits home, it hits,” Mendoza said.
No further details were immediately available.
