UPDATE: ONE ARRESTED AFTER REPORTS OF SHOTS FIRED AT RODEO HOUSTON

  

UPDATE:

One man is in custody charged with evading arrest in connection to the reports of shots fired at Rodeo Houston Wednesday night.

17-year-old Raymond Nathan Colbert is charged with misdemeanor evading arrest. Court documents show he was arrested at 11:30 Wednesday night.

After initially reporting finding no evidence of shots being fired, officers found a fresh 9mm shell casing.

Authorities say they are still trying to determine if there’s a link between Colbert and the casing.

Houston Police Captain D.W. Ready said Colbert matched the description of the person who may have fired a weapon, according to reports collected Wednesday night. When authorities approached Colbert to question him, he reportedly ran away.

The department is continuing their investigation into the incident.

In a statement, Rodeo Houston officials said the safety of rodeo guests is their top priority. They say they will continue to work closely with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Houston Police to monitor the situation.

EARLIER: People exited the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in a panic Wednesday night after there were reports of gunshots at the festival’s carnival.

However, the Houston Police Department says there is no evidence shots were actually fired.

Just before 10 p.m., police swarmed the area after witnesses reported hearing the gunshots. Chaos ensued as conflicting witness accounts circulated on social media.

Over the public address system, those inside NRG Stadium were asked to stay in place. Then at 10:04 p.m., the rodeo tweeted, “if you are in the stadium, please exit on the west side”.

By 10:30 p.m., an all-clear was confirmed and rodeo officials stated that “NRG Park grounds are clear to move about as normal”.

Police detained and questioned people at the scene, but no suspects were taken into custody for firing the alleged shots.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo issued the following statement overnight:

The safety of our Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo guests is always our highest priority.

Show security is staffed by officers from the Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff's Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. HPD has investigated the incident reported at NRG Park Wednesday night and has stated that they have found no weapons, have no suspect is in custody, and there are no reported injuries. As a precaution, Show officials instructed people to shelter in place for a short time until officers determined that conditions were safe.