© 2026 ABC News

Cenat, 21, posted in an Instagram story, \"Please be safe,\" while sharing news coverage of the incident.

\"I love you guys to the fullest you guys are amazing,\" he said.

\"PHOTO:
David Dee Delgado/Reuters
PHOTO: People stand on top of a subway station entrance after popular live streamer Kai Cenat announced a "giveaway" event at Union Square in New York City, Aug. 4, 2023.
>

A woman shopping in the area with her baby took shelter in an ATM lobby during the mayhem.

\"Everything was just bombarded with people,\" she told ABC New York station WABC.

\"It was just hectic. The only thing I could think about was to keep my daughter safe,\" she said.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams thanked police \"for their quick work\" in controlling the situation.

\"I want our streets to be alive and full of joy. But they must be safe,\" he said on social media. \"That's the most important thing.\"

An NYPD official said they do believe there were a handful of PlayStation 5s that Cenat intended to distribute and the event would likely have turned out differently had he notified the department ahead of time

ABC News' Mark Crudele, Josh Hoyos, Matt J. Foster and Reena Roy contributed to this report.

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