Berkley Days festival ends early after reports of people with guns caused crowds to flee

A four-day-long festival in Berkley closed a day early after police said reports of people with guns caused crowds to flee.

The Berkley Department of Public Safety issued a statement on the Berkley Days' website to "dispel any rumors or disinformation" about the incident.

The statement said around 7 p.m. Saturday, Berkley officers went to the festival in response to several fights.

"A short time later, there were a number of reports of individuals with firearms, causing the crowds to flee in different directions. The decision was quickly made to close the event for the evening and officers immediately began to disperse the crowd," the statement said.

"After a short period of time, the entire property was cleared, and officers continue to monitor the neighborhood surrounding the event to assure there are no further issues," the statement said.

Police said no serious injuries were reported. Several toy guns were recovered but "no actual firearms" were observed or recovered, police said.

On Sunday Berkley Days was to feature family friendly events in celebration of Mother's Day.