MONROEVILLE, Allegheny County — A former Slippery Rock University student who attended the All White Affair party at a bar at the Monroeville Mall on Friday that ended with fighting and shots fired said he was surprised the party turned violent.

He stressed that the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity at SRU was not officially affiliated with the event.

Elford Jarrett, a 2012 graduate of SRU and former member of Phi Beta Sigma who now lives in Maryland, said he traveled last weekend to attend the All White Affair at Winghart’s Burger & Whiskey Bar at the mall. It drew 500 to up to as many as 1,000 revelers from universities.

The party — versions of which are held in cities all over the country — was broken up early Saturday morning after the bar’s management turned off the music and asked customers to leave. Outside, police reported fights and shots fired into the air. Two people suffered injuries and received medical care.

Jarrett said that the All White Affair is an annual party that is in its third year locally. Attendees come from all over and wear all white clothing to the event.

“It’s just a party,” Jarrett said, noting that there are no special conditions other than attendees wear all-white clothing.

He said the party was organized by an SRU student and was not officially sponsored by Phi Beta Sigma. It was promoted on social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

“It wasn’t our fraternity,” Jarrett said. “It was organized by an individual in the fraternity. It was intended to be a fun night. This was the third time we’ve had it.

“The past two years have been good. Students from all over Pennsylvania came.”

Jarrett said students from Indiana (Pa.) University, California (Pa.) University and SRU were bused to the mall for the event. Students from the University of Pittsburgh came to the event by other means.

According to Jarrett, the party had been planned for the Liquid Club and Lounge in White Oak, but the venue was changed in the days before the party to Winghart’s.

At least 500 tickets had been sold before the party, he added, and the owners of Winghart’s were aware that a large number of people would be present.

“We paid for security,” Jarrett said. “But the security that was there didn’t seem like it was ‘official’ security. The owner said they didn’t know how many (were attending), but they knew.”

Jarrett said the party was going fine until sometime around midnight when the management of Winghart’s turned off the music.

“As soon as they turned off the music — they just cut off the music — I guess something happened,” Jarrett said. “Everyone got mad and people were fighting outside. I didn’t hear any shots but I saw people running.”

Christine Kindl, spokesman for California University, acknowledged some students from the university may have attended the party.

She said the All White Affair was not a university sponsored event, and she was unaware of any buses traveling from the California campus to the restaurant.

“There may have been a handful of students that went on their own,” said Kindl, who added that the university did question fraternities regarding the party but found that students went on their own.

Students from IUP attended the party as well, though university officials there pointed out that “no bus load of students went.”

Michelle Fryling, executive director of communications at IUP, said, “a few students did go, and our first priority when we found out was to make sure they weren’t hurt.”

Fryling said the party was not a university sponsored event. She said the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity at IUP has only three members.

On Saturday, Winghart’s released a statement on Facebook denouncing the incident.

“We are upset and disappointed in the events that occurred in the Monroeville location and we would like everyone to know that this does not reflect the Winghart’s culture,” the statement read. “It was never our intention for this to occur and we are extremely saddened by the ruthless acts that were carried out.

Management said they do not condone the violence that transpired.

“We were 100 percent misled and are greatly upset at what was supposed to be an Alumni Slippery Rock event,” the statement continued. “As soon as we realized the supposed private event was marketed else where, we shut the party down immediately.”

Eagle staff writer Eric Tichy contributed to this report.