ZACHARY — The Zachary Police Department says its investigation into an altercation that cut the Really Hot Air Balloon Festival short is nearly complete.

According to police, officers received a call from dispatch a little after 8 p.m. reporting possible shots fired. Officers responded and the festival was shut down an hour early for safety.

Security footage and witness interviews pointed to a verbal altercation between individuals where a gun may have been brandished. Lawrence said those involved appeared to be high school students who were at the event unsupervised.

ZPD determined no shots had been fired and found no shell casings. Multiple witnesses near the scene also said they did not hear gunshots.

"Actually, I think the investigation is almost complete. We're still interviewing a few people, but the whole gist is nobody actually heard gunfire," Chief Darryl Lawrence said.

Multiple festival-goers told WBRZ they saw at least a dozen people running past them without stopping to explain what was happening.

Zachary resident LaHendric Bruster was at his home near BREC Zachary Community Park, where the festival took place, when he noticed people running.

"Me personally, I didn't hear anything, but looking through my balcony, I did see a lot of people running, so I was very shocked to hear that," Bruster said.

Lawrence told WBRZ it is too early to say whether anyone involved could face charges.

"I'm not going to say no because we don't know what may turn up," Lawrence said.

Several residents told WBRZ they want to see additional security measures at future events. Bruster suggested metal detectors to give attendees peace of mind, especially given how many children come to events like this.

Zachary law enforcement plans to hold a debrief later this week with city leaders and event coordinators. When WBRZ asked whether increased security measures would be part of that conversation, Lawrence said the department would look at whether any changes to the setup could be made.

"We think our security plan was pretty solid," Lawrence said.