Prank call leads to tragedy
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — A gas leak prank call to police caused chaos and injury at a small conference building in Downtown Los Angeles.
According to police, the call reported a gas leak at the conference building and prompted an immediate evacuation. However, the evacuation quickly turned into a human crush as panicked attendees rushed to exit the building.
As a result, roughly 20 people were injured in the chaos, including several with broken bones and head injuries. The extent of the injuries is not known at this time.
The caller is currently unknown and being investigated by police. Additionally, two receptionists at the conference building were arrested after they were seen on security footage locking multiple doors during the evacuation. Police have not released further information on the arrest or the incident.
EventWorks Conference Services, the company who owns the conference building, has released a statement regarding the incident. "We are deeply saddened by the events that occurred at our conference building. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were injured in the chaos. We are cooperating fully with the police investigation and are taking steps to ensure that something like this never happens again."
The investigation is ongoing and police are asking anyone with information about the incident to come forward.