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Reports of shots on Parkway unfounded

Rumors of a shooting after the fireworks turned out to be false.

Flash mob paranoia may have gotten the best of some attendees at the fireworks on the Ben Franklin Parkway late last night. Twitter was abuzz with rumors of shots being fired and an ensuing stampede just after the fireworks ended, but that turned out to be false and police officers suggested that people could have reacted to firecrackers.

Other chatter online suggested that mobs of unruly teenagers had flooded Love Park, but a reporter there saw more cops than people. Ditto for a report of a mob south of City Hall. Plenty of people were milling around, but many were waiting for public transit to take them home and police were in control.

Several police officers in Center City said they hadn't heard about any shootings or mobs related to the fireworks. Police had called extra officers into Center City but called them off just after 12:30 a.m.

UPDATE: We've been trying to verify persistent rumors all day and still haven't confirmed any violence. If you were on the parkway last night and saw something, email stumma@phillynews.com.