‘Scariest Moment of My Life’: Traffic Incident Leads to Tasers and ‘Active Shooter’ Scare at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

A traffic incident outside the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on Friday turned in an “active shooter” scare that spread through social media and into the zoo itself, where patrons described crowds fleeing for escape routes. Police later explained that there had been no active shooter and no shots fired, though one person was tased by officers.

The situation started on the road outside the zoo entrance, located in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Various news reports say that a man driving a Jeep failed to follow police instructions and pulled into the zoo parking lot, where he exited the Jeep and was pursued by officers on foot. Eventually the fleeing man was subdued by a taser.

The zoo later posted an update on Facebook explaining the situation:

Shortly after 2 p.m., there was a traffic accident on the SR (750) in front of the Zoo. Shawnee Hills Police Department responded to handle the incident and direct traffic. An individual driving a Jeep did not follow the officer’s direction and quickly drove into the Zoo parking lot, and the officer followed.

The driver of the Jeep jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot, which led to pursuit from the officer and additional police assistance. When the individual did not stop, an officer drew their weapon and the other officer tased the individual. No gunfire was exchanged and the individual and officers did not enter the Zoo. In these types of high tense situations, rumors spread quickly. There was no active shooter situation at the Zoo and there never was.

The Zoo staff has safety drills throughout the year for various types of emergency scenarios. We continually assess our process and protocols to keep staff, guests and the animals in our care safe.

Both the Columbus Zoo and the Delaware County Sheriff’s office posted on Twitter to assure locals that there was not, and had not been, an active shooter.

But before the all-clear, the rumor spread quickly, and some patrons described their reaction to the news, including Cleveland reporter Mike Brookbank, who was in the zoo with his family at the time.

Here is a local news report from the scene.

Despite the brief worries, no one was hurt and the zoo quickly returned to normal operations. Still, the power of social media to scare as well as inform continues to be a story of its own.