Things got a little out of control on Sunday night when Eagles’ fans celebrated their team’s latest trip to the Super Bowl after an NFC Championship Game rout of the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field.
One rowdy fan at the corner of Frankford and Cottman avenues in Philadelphia appeared to fire a gun in the air during the postgame celebration after the Eagles routed the Commanders, 55-23, while those around him didn’t seem to care very much.
“I believe that was a gun,” one fan was heard saying on video posted to social media. “Dude, that was definitely a gun.”
“I don’t give a [bleep],” another fan said.
Lifelong Eagles fan Jeff Barton, of Delanco, N.J., was at the celebration, not far from where the gun allegedly went off, although he did not hear it. He did see fireworks and heard explosions, and saw police shutting down the celebration, he said.
“I arrived down at the celebration on Broad Street just after 8 p.m.,” Barton said. “There was an abundance of activity going on every which way, including plenty of fireworks.
“The police had put barricades in place along the curb, lining the street, keeping people away from the buildings and the windows. The officers were very mild-mannered and friendly and seemingly enjoying the celebration.
“I was at the intersection of 18th and Broad Street, watching multiple failed efforts by people to climb a light post when I looked to my left toward City Hall, and 50 feet away was a wall of police officers clad in riot gear with shields and batons moving at a moderate but firm pace clearing the street,” he added.
“It was abundantly clear the party was over and they wanted everybody gone immediately. I moved quickly to a side street and back toward the train service. I then suddenly heard what must’ve been between 12 and 15 loud explosions along with flashes of light. It became even more intense at that point with people tripling their exit pace to get away from whatever that was and wherever that sound came from.”
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter and Basketball Insider for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.
