SXSW Shooting Reports Were Unfounded: Austin Police

Widely shared accounts Friday afternoon by Twitter users describing a shooting on East Sixth Street -- the focal point for the ongoing SXSW music festival with crowds gathered -- are inaccurate, police told Patch.

Austin Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Herber said police did respond quickly to a report of two shots fired this afternoon. But after a thorough investigation, no evidence of a shooting was found, she said.

The case has been closed as a result.

"The call came in at 3:55 p.m. from the 600 block of 6th Street," Herber said. "It came in from the manager of one of the bars there who said he heard two shots outside."

A heavy police presence at SXSW enabled officers to immediately reach the scene. But no evidence of a shooting -- spent shell casings or injuries -- were found. An examination of street surveillance cameras also yielded no evidence of a shooting, she added.

"Our officers were obviously really close at the scene because of SXSW," the spokeswoman said. "They were there for quite a while, but were unable to find any evidence of a any shooting."

While some festival attendees ran for cover, the crowd has since dispersed, she said.

"It could've been a car backfiring," Herber said. "Thankfully, there were no injuries."

A measure of panic over the reported (and since disproved) shooting ensued after Twitter users sent posts asserting to an actual shooting. The resulting concern points to the perils of social media immediacy in the hands of users who don't let facts get in the way of a good tweet.

"BREAKING: Shots fired on 6th Street, aka the heart of SXSW," Twitter user James Shotwell wrote. "Everyone I know is accounted for and unharmed. Be careful out there, everyone."

The tweet prompted a response from follower Emmanuelle Sabila, who identifies herself as an NBC News reporter seeking additional details.

"I'm safe but I cannot tell you anything more really," Shotwell responds. "I was turning a corner at Sixth and Trinity when I heard the shots."

In the end, Shotwell's urgent missives may have been the product of an overactive imagination.

"I watch too much Law & Order," he acknowledges in the description below his photo, showing him with a very earnest expression, his face looking off to the side as if gazing into the distance.

He lists his occupation as a marketing coordinator for something called Haulix, an editor for Substream and host of something called InsideMusicPod. Shotwell also lists purported journalistic bona fides, listing his status as founder/former editor of something named UTGReview.

But in this case, thankfully, his urgent attempt at journalistic reporting was proved erroneous.

Told of Shotwell's Twitter post by Patch, Herber said she'd send out her own tweet on behalf of the APD assuring the public that all is safe, and there was no shooting.