Advertisement Police respond to shots fired in Kansas City Zoo parking lot No reports of injuries Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Police are investigating a report of shots fired in the Kansas City Zoo parking lot. Click here for images from the scene Officers working in the area said they heard shots fired just before 4 p.m. Tuesday. Witnesses said the shots may have been fired as a crowd at the zoo became unruly.Police said as they moved to the area where they heard the sounds, they encountered large crowds leaving the zoo, which was closing for the day as scheduled."I heard, 'Pow, pow pow pow,' and then she was hollering and screaming," said a woman who told KMBC 9 News she was talking to her daughter at the time. "I wasn't assuming a shooting at the zoo where all the kids are."Police said they were unable to locate whoever fired the shots. There was no indication anyone was hit.Several officers stayed at the scene to help provide security and traffic control. Officers took several people into custody in connection with fights that broke out in the wake of the shooting investigation.Today was a free entry day at the zoo for Jackson and Clay county residents, who pay a tax to help fund the zoo. About 19,000 people came to the zoo Tuesday.Police were called to the zoo during another free day last April due to fights between patrons. This year, the event was moved to a weekday to try to prevent problems with the large crowds.Zoo Director Randy Wistoff said there were twice as many people providing security at this free admission day than when the problems happened last year."There were lots of off-duty police here, there was a commander that was here running the off-duties. I think we had 10 or 12 off-duties and that is a number that was doubled from last year," he said. "They had a few problem people, they said, 'Hey, you've got to leave the zoo. We can't have that in here.'"The zoo hosts four free-admission days every year to Jackson County and Clay County residents who helped approve funds for renovations.Wistoff said the large crowd puts pressure on the zoo."By about 3 or 3:30 p.m., we were at 19,500," he said. "We jumped almost 14,000 people in three hours and it just put the strains on us like you wouldn't believe," he said.The Kansas City Zoo released a statement on its Facebook page early Tuesday evening:"Today, the Kansas City Zoo hosted well over 19,000 guests at the first of four Zoological District Free Days in 2014. It was amazing to see all of the families enjoying the zoo on this beautiful spring day. Unfortunately, a handful of unruly guests marred the day when pushing and shoving created disruptions inside the Zoo. A majority of the events covered by the media took place outside of the Zoo, particularly the shot which was fired west of Starlight. KCPD has commented that no injuries occurred and at least 10 were arrested in separate incidents," the statement said."Our goal is to ensure that every guest enjoys a family-friendly atmosphere, even on Free Days. We will again revisit our Free Day process with all vested parties. While we wish these unfortunate events had not happened, we will work internally and externally to accommodate Free Days as they continue."