Early Sunday, a crowd surge at the annual Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival in Atlantic Beach, South Carolina, led to injuries for at least 19 people, according to authorities. The incident unfolded shortly after 1 a.m. local time near a stage at the festival. Police investigations suggest the commotion began when an individual abruptly started running through the assembled crowd. “There were no confirmed instances of fights, weapons, or direct threats to public safety at any point. It appears the situation was triggered by a single individual running, which caused a brief, chain-reaction panic within the crowd that lasted mere seconds,” stated Titus Leaks, Interim Town Manager for Atlantic Beach.
