Nationals Padres game suspended after shooting outside Nationals Park
An MLB game between the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals was suspended on Saturday night after shots were fired just outside of Nationals Park.
The sound of gunshots could be heard from inside of Nationals Park, and it sent fans and players scrambling for cover.
An investigation has determined that this act was a shooting between two vehicles, but no one inside of Nationals Park could determine where the shots were coming from initially. After consulting with the league, the umpire crew decided to suspend the game and pick it back up in the sixth inning on Sunday.
The Metropolitan Police Department announced that three people were injured in the shooting, and one of those injured was someone attending the game. That fan was outside of the stadium when the shooting began and was ultimately caught in the crossfire.
One of the vehicles from the shooting has not been found, but two people in the other vehicle walked into a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Washington Nationals immediately made an announcement to keep fans in the stadium, but several hundred had already scrambled for the exits.
After a 10-minute delay, the Nationals ultimately announced for fans to leave the stadium through specified gates that were away from the action. Sirens could be heard inside of the stadium, but the team made it clear that no one inside of the stadium was in any danger.
MLB has been on high alert of late after an arrest was made in Denver, Colorado in the days leading up to the 2021 All-Star Game. In that case, three people were arrested after they were found to have ammunition and weapons in a hotel room that overlooked Coors Field.
The investigation is still ongoing, and the Metropolitan Police Department did announce that additional security would be on hand for the games on Sunday. San Diego was holding an 8-4 lead when the shooting occurred in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Chaotic Scene Ensues
Less than 24 hours after the shooting, members of both the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres were describing what they called a “chaotic” scene on Saturday night. The fans in attendance weren’t the only ones looking for cover and trying to get others to safety.
Fernando Tatis Jr. was seen on video running into the stands to try and get his family with him into the clubhouse. Tatis described the scene by saying, “Everybody running. It was crazy. You couldn’t figure out what was going on. If it was one or two people.”
The Padres actually opened up the field gate and allowed fans into their dugout to help protect people from danger. At the time, it seemed as if the threat was inside the stadium, but that was not the case.
Padres manager Jayce Tingler was speaking with the umpires when the shots rang out, and he was unsure of what was taking place. Tingler noted that once it became clear that the shooting took place outside was when he and his team felt comfortable.
The manager said, “That’s when we started to feel a little bit better. You never feel great.”
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