A stampede occurred during a rodeo at Rancho El Eden in Gaston, South Carolina. This incident left at least 16 people injured and led to multiple arrests.
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According to WACH Fox, the stampede occurred just after 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night. Someone set off fireworks, which spooked a horse. It tore through the crowd, trampling many people in the process.
Brenda Arredondo, an attendee of the rodeo, told the news station that her friend had to be carried to an ambulance after being trampled because she could not walk. Arredondo said that her mother required emergency surgery after severe injuries to her face.
Multiple people were injured after fireworks spooked horses, causing a stampede in Gaston.
Six people were arrested after for charges including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and DUI.
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The news station reports that 10 people received treatment at the rodeo. Six others had to be transported to hospitals in the area for further treatment. Arredondo told WACH Fox that the last ambulance left the rodeo close to 11 p.m., more than two hours after the stampede.
The Gaston Police shut down the rodeo after all of the injured had been transported to the hospital. They arrested six people on charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and driving under the influence.
Officials cited the host of the event, Efrain S. Mercado, on Tuesday for reckless discharge of fireworks.
As expected, PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) released a statement in the wake of the fireworks-sparked incident.
"What unfolded in South Carolina shows how quickly things can spiral into a full-blown crisis when humans force animals into stressful conditions amid jeering, raucous crowds, sudden loud noises, and overwhelming commotion," PETA said in part.
"Horses are wired to react instantly to sudden noise and potential danger. For these easily startled animals, fireworks can trigger full-scale panic. In a rodeo-like environment, where animals are already confined, stressed, and forced into unfamiliar situations, that panic can explode into stampedes in seconds, putting both humans and our fellow animals in danger."
