‘Threat of potential violence’ leads to brief suspension of 2024 Music City Open, Disc Golf Pro Tour says
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The 2024 Music City Open was temporarily suspended Saturday morning because of a potential threat against someone involved in the tournament, according to the Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT).
Shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 20, the DGPT announced it suspended play at the Music City Open because the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) was investigating a threat made against the event.
“Tour and tournament staff are cooperating with local law enforcement authorities to assess the nature of the threat and determine the next steps,” organizers stated in their online event status update.
Later in the morning, officials reported they had assessed the situation with tour staff, tournament staff, and MNPD. As a result, the competition was cleared to resume at 11 a.m., with additional security measures
Several hours later, the DGPT shared additional details about the situation, saying competing and spectating had been temporarily suspended at the Music City Open due to a “threat of potential violence against a competitor at this weekend’s tournament.”
“The type of threat was unspecified and made no specific mention of harm to any other person but rose to the level at which tour staff began initiating safety protocols,” the organization explained. “Metro police were immediately contacted and responded to the scene to assess the situation. The player in question was also notified, as were their cardmates.”
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Based on preliminary guidance from law enforcement, the DGPT briefly suspended the competition and removed everyone from the area in the interest of safety until play resumed at 11 a.m.
“Threats of violence at DGPT events are utterly unacceptable and are treated with the utmost seriousness by our entire staff,” said Jeff Spring, DGPT CEO and tour director. “We have deployed additional security resources to enhance the safety measures in place for all individuals on-site. Those measures will be in place for the remainder of the weekend.”
“I want to thank local law enforcement and the local tournament staff for their prompt and professional response. Furthermore, I want to assure players, spectators, partners, and fans that we are continuing to practice vigilance,” Spring continued, adding that the DGPT will keep coordinating and cooperating with the MNPD amid the ongoing investigation into the incident.
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News 2 reached out to MNPD for additional information about the threat and the investigation into it, but we have yet to hear back.
The 2024 Music City Open started on Friday, April 19 and wraps up on Sunday, April 21 in Nashville. To learn more about the event, click here.
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