IRVINE (CNS) - The Shocktoberfest event at UC Irvine's Bren Event Center to kick-off the men's and women's basketball season was canceled after a performer jumped off the stage and into the crowd, creating a dangerous situation, a campus official said today.
Students were told to exit the arena Friday night after the second of three rap artists scheduled to perform, Famous Dex, jumped into the audience and the crowd surged toward the stage, prompting university police to declare a dangerous environment and cancel the remainder of the show, according to Tom Vasich, UCI spokesman.
Authorities turned on the lights in the arena and the sell-out crowd of 4,500 was told to leave the facility immediately, Vasich said.
Students gathered outside the facility as Famous Dex drove by, then video showed students jumping onto the hood of the car, banging on windows and climbing onto the roof, the UCI campus newspaper, New University, reported.
A student told the paper a member of the rapper's entourage pulled a gun and shouted at students from the car's sunroof.
Campus police issued an alert to students about a man with a gun. An hour later the alert was canceled with a message saying the vehicle had left the area.
No injuries or arrests were reported, Vasich said.
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