NEW YORK – A wild brawl involving dozens of people erupted at a New York City racetrack casino late Friday and the minutes-long melee was caught on video.
Video posted online showed angry patrons hurling chairs, brandishing rope-line stanchions, exchanging punches, running and shouting.
The fighting broke out in front of about 300 onlookers.
Law enforcement sources told the New York Post long waits for daiquiris fueled the ruckus.
The paper said investigators think the fighting may have been gang-related. They said shots may have been fired when the brawling spilled into the parking lot.
Three people were arrested or ticketed on disorderly conduct charges, and a police officer and several other people were injured in the incident. It began at the opening of a Fat Tuesday daiquiri bar at the Resorts World Casino at the Aqueduct track in Queens. The casino is near JFK Airport.
The videos of the violence quickly went viral. As combatants throw chairs, yelling and shattering glass can be heard in the background.
Police say officers arrived just before midnight to find about two dozen people enmeshed in fights in the casino's food court.
“They done tore up the #FatTuesdaysNYC on the first night! Can’t have nothing,” one partygoer tweeted, the Post reported.
A spokesperson for the casino told the paper that security “worked to quickly bring the situation under control.”
“The safety of our patrons is Resorts World’s top priority, and there is absolutely no room for this kind of behavior at our facility,” the spokesperson added. “We are reviewing all aspects of this unfortunate event and are fully committed to taking steps to ensure similar acts do not take place ever again.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
