WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 17: Sign on scoreboard after what is believed to be shots were heard outside the stadium during a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Shooting reported outside of Nationals Park during Padres game.
A scary scene is developing outside of Nationals Park where the Washington Nationals are facing the San Diego Padres. A tweet from the team confirmed the news and advised fans to exit the stadium from other entrances. According to the tweet the shooting happened near the third base entrance.
“A shooting has been reported outside of the Third Base Gate at Nationals Park. Fans are encouraged to exit the ballpark via the CF and RF gates at this time. We’re working with law enforcement to provide more information as soon as it becomes available.”
A video shows player’s families being evacuated from Nationals Park
A video also reportedly shows players families being evacuated through the field. Some players even ran into the stands to escort their families to the clubhouse.
Fans were told to exit from the right field and center field gates, and to avoid the third base exit, where there was previously an active shooter. Some fans, however, ran onto the field to get away from the initial panic. It’s tough to blame them in such a state of chaos.
The gunshots were even picked up by the broadcast team, though at the time they had no idea what they had heard.
The Nationals broadcast initially reported a rain delay, while the Padres broadcast was kept in the loop by authorities.
The DC police department released a statement through Twitter: “MPD is responding to a shooting in the 1500 block of South Capitol Street, SW, in which two people where shot outside of Nationals Park. This is currently an active investigation and it appears there is no ongoing threat at this time.”
It’s unknown how many fatalities there were at this time. The story will be updated with more information.