Day-1 at Run 4 Roses Championship Starts Smoothly, Ends Abruptly

Day-1 of the annual Run 4 Roses Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, got off to a nice start, as ladies were continuing to perform at a high level on the court despite most of them already having played the prior two or three days leading into Sunday's action. Then, around roughly 3:15 p.m., everything came to a screeching halt and a different type of adrenaline entered everyone's bloodstream.

I was at Court #26 watching the DistinXion Champions Gold E40 17U team play when what sounded like a fire alarm went off. Everyone in our area took a quick pause, action continued, then again, another alarm sounded. Immediately after the second notice, the action stopped, and the crowd in my general vicinity got extremely quiet trying to listen to commands on the loudspeaker. It was telling us to walk calmly to the nearest exit and leave the building for the time being.

Most of the people in the middle of the Kentucky Exposition Center, where I was, turned and walked toward the Eastern most doors as instructed, thinking it was a fire/fire alarm, but as we got within about 20-30 feet of the doors, another pocket of people who were closer to the Western entrance came running toward us, so we picked up the pace and got outside quickly.

I immediately began heading around to my car because I was only about 90 minutes away from leaving for the evening anyway, and I had my doubts even a false fire alarm would get us back inside with basketball back in action before then. Suddenly, the sound of sirens filled the air from each direction, with a combination of fire trucks and police vehicles littering the grounds...first by the main gate at the Southwest entrance to the Expo Center, then everywhere surrounding the building. A helicopter was also on scene almost immediately.

Of course, in the parking lot everyone was confused, some thinking it was a fire/fire alarm, while others were being called and texted that their friends had heard sounds like gunshots. When the police arrived and entered with assault rifles, some in tactical gear, it quickly redefined the mood of the crowd from nervous uncertainty to immediate fear. Luckily for me, I was able to quickly find my car and evacuate the grounds, while others were told to wait in their parking lots, and yet another group were stuck inside, many crammed into small restrooms attempting to shelter in place.

Fortunately for all, after a thorough walk-through by police, there were no gunshots and there were no gunshot injuries reported. No weapons of any kind were found as well. I do believe they found a broken window, but not much more. The only victims were those attendees whose moments were spent in fear trying to escape a crowd reported in the 40,000 range. From what I understand, authorities are continuing to scour footage from hundreds of cameras, including basketball streaming services, trying to make exact sense of it all.

The initial official word from the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department was that the report of an "active aggressor" was called in, so that's why they responded. While on scene, another call of an "active aggressor" was made from the amusement park (Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bay) on the Southwest corner of the fairgrounds, which they also responded to and found nothing. Shout out to the LMPD and LFD for their quick response/action, and for their swiftness and helpfulness on-site from everyone I've spoken with who was there.

As for the tournament itself, the Run 4 Roses officials have sent out a report of their own stating that the fire alarm was a "mechanical issue" and that no one pulled it, and that's what caused part of the crowd to panic and leave in a hurry. They also promised "full security measures...including wanding and bag checks...will be in place" both Monday and Tuesday. They did not address the LMPD claim of the "active aggressor" calls, however, therefore many teams are already home/headed home, and Nike's EYBL & EYCL leagues have cancelled the remainder of their games in Louisville. The regular Run 4 Roses Championship is set to continue play Monday morning with whatever teams show up.

Sadly, but fortunately not tragically, a great weekend and a typically enjoyable event that is supposed to encompass youthful energy, excitement, and the opportunity for young ladies to earn their college educations through basketball recruitment, has been interrupted and marred by either a "mechanical issue" or possibly an individual who is calling in false alarms. Hopefully those most panicked and scared in the moments of Sunday afternoon are able to move past this as quickly as possible...you have every right to feel how you feel. I just hope you are able to enjoy the basketball arena once again very soon.