The community Easter Party Saturday afternoon at Douglass Park was interrupted by a gun scare. No one was injured, and no arrests were made.
At about 5:10 p.m., an announcement was made warning partygoers that someone in the park was carrying a gun. Families were advised to find their children and leave the park immediately.
Columbia Police Department Sgt. Dan Beckman said officers were called to an incident near the basketball courts at the park. When they arrived, Beckman said, the disturbance had apparently ended.
About a half hour later, Margaret Hickem, one of the event's organizers, said an incident involving 10 men had occurred in the park some distance away from the celebration.
“We’ll get through this,” Hickem said. Groups of attendees nodded in agreement.
After addressing the crowd, Hickem turned over the microphone to her 8-year-old niece, Menyon Ricketts, who sang "I’m Goin’ Down" by Mary J. Blidge, for which she received thunderous applause.
The party resumed with dancing and food, though most families with small children had left the park. Officers remained at the party to watch out for any additional trouble.