'I Thought I Was Going to Die!' 'Jersey Shore' Star Snooki Describes Terrifying Panic at Dallas Cheer Event — 'Gunshots' Heard, Daughter Missing for 45 Minutes
Nicole 'Snoozi' Polizzi detailed the terrifying experience of hearing alleged gunshots at a recent cheerleading competition with her daughter.
March 13 2025, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi faced one of the most terrifying nightmares a mother could imagine.
The Jersey Shore star shared the terrifying details of the chaos that recently erupted at her nine-year-old daughter’s cheerleading competition, where she believed she was "going to die" after hearing gunshots, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 'Jersey Shore' star opened up about the chaos that erupted at the Dallas convention center.
Snooki, 37, shared her firsthand account of what really happened during the National Cheerleading Association competition on March 1 while speaking on her podcast, It's Happening with Snooki & Joey.
The huge Dallas event, where her daughter Giovanna was competing with her cheer team, was evacuated after reports of an active shooter.
Snooki, who shares Giovanna with husband Jionni LaValle, claimed to have heard multiple gunshots before people started stampeding.
However, police have since stated there was no active shooter – though 10 people were injured in the panic, and the competition was called off for the day.
Officials said a fight broke out, causing two poles to fall and creating a loud noise that fueled the panic inside the venue.
Recounting the day, Snooki explained: "I literally thought I was going to die.
"I wasn't with my daughter and I couldn't find her for 45 minutes. I was trying to save other kids from the program because they were getting trampled. It was a nightmare."
Snooki shared more details about the chaos that broke out at the convention center, explaining she was in line for food while Giovanna was warming up with her team when it all started.
The reality star explained: "I'm paying and all of a sudden one of my cheer mom friends says, 'Nicole, run!'"
She confessed that at first, she thought everyone was rushing to the stage because her daughter's performance had started early, but then she realized they were all running in panic.
Snooki went on: "I'm like wait, is everyone running to go see Giovanna? This is a little chaotic, like calm down... and then (my friend) goes, 'Nicole, there is a gun. Run.' And then I just see all these moms and cheerleaders running towards me to get out of the door."
She described the chaos as moms colliding and falling, spilling food and drinks during the stampede.
In the panic, she picked up a child who was being trampled and made her way outside, eventually reconnecting with other moms from her daughter’s program.
Snooki recounted: "I'm freaking out like 'Where is my daughter? Where is her team? Does her coach have her?'
"I have no idea. Everyone is outside hysterically crying, there's people bleeding from being trampled on, there's blood everywhere, children are freaking out and crying ... it was actual chaos."
About 10 minutes later, she reached a coach who told her part of the team had barricaded themselves in a hotel room, but her daughter wasn't with them.
The MTV star was unable to track her daughter since she didn't have her phone on her.
It was then she believes she heard three gunshots.
Snooki recalled: "I'm running now and I see some the kids from our gym being trampled on again, so I'm picking up all these kids.
"I'm (telling them) 'you just need to run, just run.' People are losing their shoes and people have no shoes on, everyone's bleeding. It was a f---ing nightmare."
She said they eventually reached a nearby bridge and stopped running, when she claimed to have heard two more gunshots. At that point, she still had no idea where her daughter was.
She later learned Giovanna had been "hiding" with a few teammates in a movie theater about two miles away.
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Snooki explained: "When I find out I'm running full speed, Forrest Gump, down a highway jumping barricades. And as I'm running, people are like 'Snooki can I get a picture?' I'm like bitch, we're in a f*cking shooting. I can't find my daughter."
The MTV star said her daughter didn't have her phone because she was warming up for her performance, which meant Snooki wasn't able to track her.
Snooki said people stopped to ask her for photos as she was running in panic to find her daughter.
Despite how "traumatic" the weekend was, Snooki said the competition turned out to be "amazing."
She said of her daughter: "I'm so proud of her and her team for coming back after that day."
The TV star shares three kids – daughter Giovanna, as well as sons Lorenzo, 11, and Angelo, four, – with her husband Jionni LaValle.
