Nationals-Padres game suspended after three wounded in shooting outside Nationals Park in Washington D.C.
Saturday night's game between the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals was suspended after a shooting outside Nationals Park, the team announced.
The shooting occurred outside the third base gate, the team and D.C. Metro Police said, halting play in the sixth inning and leading to moments of panic inside and outside the stadium.
Three people were wounded in the shooting, according to the MPD, and gunshots were audible from within Nationals Park, sowing confusion among fans, players and stadium employees.
After the gunshots rang out, players from the Padres summoned family members into their dugout to shelter in the stadium's lowest level. The shooting also prompted fans to take cover within the stadium, according to multiple eyewitness accounts posted to social media.
Frightened Nationals fans took cover at the report of what *sounded like* shots at Nats ballpark. But staff are telling us the incident was outside the stadium, and they’re keeping everyone inside. People hid behind bar, toppled tables to hide. pic.twitter.com/bCAP2V3qyu
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) July 18, 2021
D.C. police reported the shooting occurred at N Street and South Capitol Street Southeast, outside the left field corner of the stadium. Moments after the shooting, a public-address announcement urged fans to stay in the ballpark, as many fled the stadium, unclear of the gunshots' origin.
Hope everyone is safe at Nationals park. I heard a few loud bangs and then a mass exodus. View from my roof pic.twitter.com/MA1B7z83u2
— Jalen Drummond (@jalen_drummond) July 18, 2021
Shortly thereafter, message boards and announcements within the stadium asked fans to depart through the center field gates.
Two gunshot victims were located and treated at the scene, MPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck told USA TODAY Sports. A short time later, Sternbeck said, two additional victims walked into an area hospital with gunshot wounds, though the MPD later clarified three were wounded as a result of the shooting.
All three victims were treated for non-life threatening inj
The MPD announced Sunday that a nearby surveillance camera captured an image of the suspect vehicle - a gray Toyota Corolla with a missing hubcap on the rear driver’s side wheel and dark tinted windows, believed to be displaying a Virginia temporary tag.
The game, which the Padres lead 8-4, will be resumed Sunday at 1:05 p.m., before the scheduled finale of the teams' three-game series.
Hope everyone is safe! Just keep the prayers up🙏🏾 thank you everyone that help in the front line ! God bless 🙏🏾
— Fernando Tatis Jr. (@tatis_jr) July 18, 2021
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shooting outside Nationals Park: Three wounded, Padres game suspended