Police are investigating after two people were stabbed, one of them beaten with a baseball bat, during a violent brawl at a New Hampshire carnival.
The fight at a pop-up carnival at the Rockingham Mall in Salem involved more than 10 people. The carnival is closed Friday night due to weather, but it was bustling late Thursday with families enjoying the last few days of school vacation.
Police say it's lucky the fight broke out after hours.
"It could've been so much worse if carnival was open, even if the mall was open," said Capt. Joel Dolan.
It was 3 a.m. when Salem Police learned a man had been stabbed at the carnival.
"We do know he arrived there and a confrontation ensued," Dolan said.
Dolan says at least 10 people were involved, most of them carnival workers. One person was armed with a knife, another with a baseball bat.
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Two Massachusetts men, a 30-year-old and a 39-year-old, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Both were stabbed, and the 39-year-old victim also sustained injuries believed to have been inflicted by the bat.
"My family has been doing this for well over 50 years," said Larry Cushing, whose family owns Cushing Amusements.
Cushing says his workers stay on site in trailers, which explains why so many people were there in the middle of the night.
"Yeah, we always have people here watching the equipment," Cushing said.
Cushing says he closes his carnivals at 10 p.m. to avoid any late-night mayhem. He says it worked for years, and that nothing like this has ever happened before.
"Everything is pretty peaceful," Cushing said. "We're more like a family, since we're always so close together."
Salem Police are reviewing surveillance video and say several people will face some serious charges.
Cushing says if any of his employees are charged with anything, they're off the job.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to call Salem police at 603-893-1911.
