MIAMI (AP) — The Fourth of July fireworks show ended early in Miami because of a bomb scare.
Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo tells the Miami Herald "it's a major disappointment" for people who were expecting a 15-minute holiday fireworks display Thursday night at Bayfront Park, adding that police ordered the show to stop when a suspicious package was discovered nearby.
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Miami police spokeswoman Kenia Fallat told news outlets she can't confirm that police intervened with the show, though officers did clear out a service road when an abandoned suitcase was found. She says they didn't order widespread evacuations.
The shortened show left a barge of unignited fireworks in Biscayne Bay. The show's designer Gary Avins says it was the first time in 40 years authorities have ordered him to shut down a show.
Police moving crowds, them screaming, running, and panic. They also stopped the fireworks show. @wsvn @OfficialJoelF @nbc6 @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/Tt97aDtNNk
— Gray (@thegraviator) July 5, 2019