BERKLEY (WWJ) – The annual Berkley Days festival in downtown Berkley has been cut short after multiple fights and reports of guns spotted in the midst of the festivities on Saturday night.
The festival, which was supposed to remain open until 11 p.m. Saturday, was halted around 7 p.m. “out of an abundance of caution.”
Berkley police officials say officers assigned to the festival responded to several fights Saturday evening and other officers were called in to assist around 7 p.m.
A short time later police received numerous reports of people with guns, causing people to flee into neighborhoods in different directions.
Officials then quickly decided to close the event for the night and officers began dispersing the crowd, while monitoring of surrounding areas continued into the night to make sure there were no other issues.
Police recovered several “toy guns” from people at the scene, but no actual guns were found, officials said.
No serious injuries were reported during the incident.
Authorities have not said whether any arrests were made.
Organizers say they decided to cancel the rest of the event’s festivities scheduled for Sunday because “the safety of our citizens and community is our top priority.”
Anyone who purchased an armband in advance should look for an announcement from Skerbeck Family Carnival in the coming days.
“Please be patient and understanding as we work through the details of this event,” Berkley Days officials said.
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