That weekend, Texarkana residents kept the police busy by flooding the station with reports of prowlers. One officer stated that nearly all of the alarms were the result of excitement, wild imagination, and even near-hysteria. Farmhouses and neighborhoods blazed with lights. Several businesses, including cafés, theaters, and nightclubs, lost many customers. One business reported a 20% drop in sales. The evenings were hopping, but the streets were practically deserted when dawn approached. The city became a virtual ghost town. Because of the drop in business, liquor stores began closing at 9:30 p.m., and a statement was posted in the paper saying, "We fully understand the state of mind in which Texarkana is now gripped. And we are selling no liquor to persons who already have been drinking. We do not wish to add further to the troubles of the police. Any person who drinks whiskey at this time to get drunk and wander about the streets of Texarkana is further complicating the works of the police and is placing himself in grave danger of being shot by people whose nerves are on edge from the recent murders."