‘I don’t think it’s surprising’: Psychology professor examines emotional impact behind NYS Fair alleged shooting

GEDDES, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — What was supposed to be a night of fun turned into a scary situation at the State Fair on Sunday night, September 1. People were running in fear after they believed there was a shooting.

• Dick Cheney will vote for Kamala Harris, says Liz Cheney
• Employers added 142,000 jobs in August
• Trader Joe’s viral mini totes to return to stores in September
• Feds announce effort to crack down on Glock switches
• This is how much money Americans think you need to be considered wealthy

State police said on Monday, September 2, there was no evidence a shooting happened. We reached out again on Tuesday, September 3, but they said there was no update.

Cellphone video captures frightening moments for these fairgoers running for the exits after they believe they heard gunshots during Sunday night’s Rick Ross concert.

“I don’t think it’s surprising at all that in a very alarming and stressful situation like that, you see people conforming to one another’s behavior,” said Adam Fay, a professor of psychology at SUNY Oswego.

Fay says he’s seen different incidents similar to Sunday night’s in the past. To him, it was no surprise to see concert goers reacting to each other.

“In the moment, what happens is we look to other people to try and figure out what is an appropriate way to behave in an unfamiliar situation,” Fay said.

He adds that due to the large crowd, concertgoers began feeling panicked because others were scared.

“We assume other people are acting from a place of information or accuracy,” Fay said. “So, we conform our behavior into what other people are doing because we assume that if so many other people are behaving in a consistent way, that they know what the correct thing is to do.”

In an email to NewsChannel 9 on Tuesday, state police confirm they are still investigating.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call state police at 315-366-6000.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSYR.