FRANKLIN — One person was arrested after a fight at a youth sporting event in Franklin on Sunday.
Witnesses say what started on the court quickly escalated, with cellphone video showing a fight during the game.
“It was like a first-grade basketball game — the parents were fighting, then kids were fighting,” said Graham Rosenberg, Lucas Swiontek, Nathaniel Mitchell, and Greyson Rosenberg, a group of kids from Waukesha who say they had just arrived there for a basketball tournament.
“Five minutes later, a group of 30 kids came running saying, ‘I saw a gun,’ so I just ran out the door,” they said.
Officers with the Franklin Police Department were called around 2:46 p.m. to the Midwest Orthopedic Performance Center at the Ballpark Commons after multiple 911 calls reported gunshots.
When officers arrived, they found a fight among several people in the crowd and determined no gun had been discharged, according to police.
Police said a 36-year-old Illinois man was arrested on suspicion of recklessly endangering safety after arming himself with a baseball bat. Charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office for review.
One person was hurt and treated at the scene with non-life-threatening injuries.
Dareen Asha, who was at the facility for a jiu-jitsu practice, described the panic as it unfolded.
“We were getting off the elevator when we started hearing screaming — the elevator doors opened, and chaos erupted,” Asha said.
“I saw a bunch of families yelling, kids crying. There are too many kids in the building who are affected by this on a daily basis,” she said, adding she hopes to see more safety measures in place.
"I don’t want any kid to go through that, so I hope there are some safety measures after this. Just more security implemented into the building, especially with the amount of events that go on,” Asha said.
Rosenberg said he was disappointed they weren’t able to play their games.
“I’m grateful that everyone seems to be okay, and it didn’t get worse, but it’s basketball — it’s supposed to be fun and safe for everyone. People are supposed to have fun and be able to safely watch their kids. It doesn’t need to escalate to this," he said.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing as they work to identify others involved. Anyone with information or video is asked to contact the department.
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