Witness concerned for safety after fights break out at Valleyfair

SHAKOPEE, Minn. (KMSP) - After multiple fights broke out at Valleyfair during opening night of the Halloween Haunt, Shakopee police had to shut down the entire park and usher people off the grounds.

One man who was there Saturday night with his young niece and nephew said he’s now concerned for the safety of other families.

“They had no control of the facility—none—I’ll say it right now,” said Vuthy Long.

Vuthy Long is out $400 after a chaotic night at Valleyfair. He took his niece and nephew to opening night of ValleySCARE and he quickly noticed how many people were also there for the Halloween event.

“There was a massive amount of people coming into the park and there was not a lot of staff there,” he said.

Soon, dozens of teens started fighting on the grounds. Long waited a few minutes to see if Valleyfair security would intervene, but he said that never happened.

“At 8:21 p.m. I phoned the customer service line to inform them about what was going on. I saw two groups fighting—they broke up and then started again - and all the while there was no security response at all.”

Long used his cell phone to record the park shutting down after Shakopee police eventually responded. He said they had everyone gather in the parking lot, which then also turned disorderly.

“From what I was able to observe, there was absolutely very minimal or lack of training or emergency preparedness by the Valleyfair staff.”

A spokesperson for Valleyfair told Fox 9 in part, "Safety is our top priority. We are continuously monitoring and re-evaluating our operations to make whatever adjustments are appropriate. In addition, we will continue the strong partnership with local law enforcement agencies to provide a safe and hospitable environment for our guests and associates."

Shakopee police said no one was injured during Saturday night's incident, and they did not find any weapons. Three people were cited for minor offenses.