Children attending an event inside the Aurora Theater were well and back in their classrooms early Monday afternoon following an incident during which pieces of debris were reported to fall from the ceiling while they were inside the auditorium.
News of an incident inside the theater quickly spread on social media, and preliminary reports suggested a partial ceiling collapse while an estimated 60 children, teachers and chaperones were present. As many as six children were reportedly evaluated at the scene and cleared.
Officials at the theater, at 673 Main Street in East Aurora, explained the incident in a written statement: "Earlier this morning there was an incident where a contractor working on the theatre dropped a very small amount of material into the auditorium of the theatre. During this time, the theatre was hosting an event for the West Seneca Central School District."
"Out of an abundance of caution and in line with the theatre’s protocols, the staff notified the authorities who responded accordingly. All children were checked out, ok and have since returned to their school," said the Facebook post. "We would like to thank the East Aurora Fire Department and East Aurora Police Department for their quick response and we are thankful that this event was nothing more than an exercise of precaution."