Model Mayhem: Tyra Says Show Will Go On

Supermodel will continue quest to "redefine beauty"

Tyra Banks vowed another round of "Top Model" auditions Monday, two days after a stampede led to arrests and injuries at a Manhattan audition for Banks' signature show.

"To all the 'Top Model' hopefuls who were affected by the New York casting, we are doing everything we can to make sure that ALL the girls who weren’t seen, get an opportunity to audition," Banks said in a statement.

"We’ll update you on our plans very soon. It is so important to me to redefine beauty, and make sure that everyone gets a fair chance to pursue their dream. I am beyond excited for Cycle 13; for the first time ever, young women 5'7" and under have a shot at becoming America's Next Top Model! I encourage each girl to come out ready to rock the runway and show off their fiercest pose. I'm rooting for all of you!"

Two people were arrested and six others were hurt after fighting and a stampede broke out while thousands waited to audition for the show Saturday at the Park Central New York Hotel.

NYPD officials said Monday that had their department been contacted In conjunction with the event, they would have been able to provide security and prevent such mayhem.

Witnesses described a smoking car moving toward the crowd that some thought held a bomb. The subsequent panic -- described as a stampede -- left the street outside the hotel littered with shoes and clothing. It turned out the car was merely overheated.

The two people arrested were accused of inciting a riot and disorderly conduct. 

Monday, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the show's new push for shorter models is what brought so many people to the audition.

"I believe the sponsors were caught off guard because of the change in the height requirement," Kelly said. "Thousands more applicants showed up."

But security expert Thomas Ruskin said it's always better to be prepared with too much security than the other way around. He saw the YouTube video and said danger was inevitable, and preventable.

"You can very easily, in a situation like this, narrow the barrier from a very wide stance down to one or two people next to each other," Ruskin said. "That way, you're controlling the crowd."

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