Shell casing found at Kentucky State Fair near site of Saturday's reported shooting

A shell casing has been found at the Kentucky State Fair near the place where troopers believe a gun was fired Saturday night.

Kentucky State Police spokesman Josh Lawson told the Courier Journal on Tuesday that the shell casing had been found, confirming a report from WAVE 3. The casing was on fairgrounds property, he said.

Lawson said state police are continuing to pursue a wanton endangerment charge against the male juvenile who they believe shot the gun. He had no update on whether charges may be pending.

Seven juveniles were cited Saturday evening after chaos unfolded around 10:30 p.m., as police say a group of teens incited fear of a shooting at the Kentucky State Fair by launching fireworks in the crowd.

Background:Gun scare prompts tense moments at the Kentucky State Fair

It was a single gunshot, Lawson said, and it was not classified as an active shooter situation because the suspect is not believed to have been aiming at anyone in the crowd or had intent to hurt anyone.

In addition to the wanton endangerment charge, Lawson said charges such as third-degree assault against a police officer, menacing, disorderly conduct and interfering in a government operation – if the suspects are determined to have been attempting to stop an officer from arresting someone – could also be on the table for the other juveniles who were cited.

Kentucky State Fair officials responded to the panic by instituting a policy requiring minors to be joined by a parent or guardian at the fair if they enter the event after 6 p.m., and bringing in more lighting and security personnel during peak hours. All seven juveniles who were cited were unaccompanied.

Read more:What to know about the new entry rules for kids at the Kentucky State Fair

Lucas Aulbach can be reached at laulbach@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach. Support strong local journalism and subscribe: www.courier-journal.com/lucasa.