Dozens of University of Florida Students Injured as Stampede Breaks out at Israel Vigil

"It was an accident that was misinterpreted by the crowd that led to panic,” University of Florida Police Chief Linda Stump-Kurnick said in a statement

A candlelight vigil for the victims in the Hamas attack in Israel at the University of Florida descended into a stampede leaving dozens of people injured on Monday night.

According to a statement from the University of Florida Police Department, members of the Jewish community had gathered in Turlington Plaza in support of Israel. Just before 9 p.m. one attendee fainted, which led those in the crowd to ask for 911 to be called.

However, the University of Florida Police Department said, “the call was misunderstood by the crowd, which dispersed in a panic.” The University of Florida Police Department said officers “immediately secured the scene” and “escorted the crowd away from the area.”

Police Chief Linda Stump-Kurnick said in a statement: “We have no reason to believe that there was malicious intent behind this incident. It was an accident that was misinterpreted by the crowd that led to panic.”

Related: Israeli Defense Minister Calls for ‘Complete Siege’ of Gaza Strip Two Days After Hamas' Surprise Attack

The department reported that at least five people were treated for minor injuries on the scene after the “crowd rush” by the Gainesville Fire Rescue Department and Gator Emergency Medical Response unit, which were pre-staged for the event.

However, The Gainesville Sunreported that there were more than 30 people treated for injuries at UF Health Shands Hospital, and that the hospital had described the incident as a "mass casualty" event due to the large number of patients.

Witnesses told the publication that as the crowd dispersed, people fell and tripped over each other, leading to several people sustaining injuries. Students received treatment at the hospital for concussions and gashes that needed stitches, and one student was transported to the hospital via ambulance for a broken leg, according to The Gainesville Sun.

Related: Joe Biden Says Americans ‘Likely’ Among Hostages Taken by Hamas During Surprise Attack

"It was a real stampede," Chanie Goldman, co-director of the Chabad Jewish Student Center, told The Gainesville Sun. "Kids are very shaken up ... People came to the event on edge to begin with because there is a fear [of] going to any Jewish event that something could happen."

There are over 9,000 Jewish undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Florida, according to the university’s Jewish organization website.

The organizers behind the event told the outlet that the vigil would be held at a later date.

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This comes after at least 900 people were killed and 2,500 were wounded along the Gaza strip in Israel in a surprise attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas over the weekend, according to CBS News. The act prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say that the country is “at war” and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to also announce “a complete siege on Gaza,”

In light of the recent events, President Joe Bidenissued a statement saying that police departments have stepped up security around Jewish centers in cities across the U.S. and that they are “closely monitoring” for any “domestic threats” in connection with the attacks in Israel.

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