Shooting outside Nationals Park damages 3; officials are looking for the suspect vehicle

AP / John McDonnell

AP / Nick Wass

AP / John McDonnell

AP / Nick Wass

AP / John McDonnell

Getty Images / Mitchell Layton

Getty Images / Mitchell Layton

AP / Nick Wass

The shooting outside Nationals Park on Saturday night left three people injured, forcing them to suspend the Nats-Padres game as panic erupted amid thousands of guns heard by the stadium.

Shots were exchanged between the two vehicles in the 1500 block of South Capitol Street SW on Saturday at about 9:30 p.m., DC police said, audible television broadcasts from the sixth inning of the game.

Two passengers in one vehicle later showed up at the hospital looking for treatment for gunshot wounds; they are being interrogated and law enforcement knows, the director of the capital’s police department, Ashan Benedict, said.

A bullet grazed by a fan that also crossed near the street. All three suffered life-threatening injuries and are expected to heal.

One of the two cars involved is being handled, Benedict said. Another, a gray Toyota Corolla, set off and was last seen traveling south along South Capitol Street.

DC police published control images Corolla on Sunday morning. Officials believe it has a Virginia temporary sticker and a missing pole cup on the back of the driver. Anyone with information about the car shown below is asked to contact the detective by calling 202-727-9099 or calling 50411.

Things shot caused panic among several spectators inside the stadium, many of whom had to cover their blankets, diving under the seats as announcers warned people to stay inside the park.

According to materials posted on social media, frightened fans, including children looking for shelter, knock down tables at the bar and infiltrate the Padres dugout.

Fans of frightened citizens obscured a report that * sounded * about shots at the Nazi Ball Park. But the staff tells us that the incident was outside the stadium, and keep everyone inside. People hid behind the bar, crashed into tables to hide. pic.twitter.com/bCAP2V3qyu

Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) July 18, 2021

Citizens initially reported the incident outside the stadium and sent a message to the scoreboard urging fans to stay inside the stadium.

About 10 minutes later, the team tweeted: Shooting has been reported outside the Nationals Park’s third support gate. Fans are encouraged to leave the ball field through the CF and RF ports at this time.

Dan Friedell of the WTOP, who worked on the game on the press screen, said he had “never seen anything like it”.

Friedell said it was initially thought that the noise was due to nearby thunderstorms. But that perception changed rapidly as tons of fans began to head towards the exits.

“The next thing we know, we can see hundreds, maybe thousands of fans leaving their place behind the midfield bull and the San Diego Padres bull running towards the midfield exit is quite unclear. It was very chaotic,” Friedell said.

Hopefully everyone is safe in Nationals Park. I heard a few loud rumbles and then a mass migration. View from my roof pic.twitter.com/MA1B7z83u2

Jalen Drummond (@jalen_drummond) July 18, 2021

“We saw people on the second deck, anchored below the concrete in front of their compartment,” Friedell said, adding that people ran toward the tunnels behind the home plate that were often seen during the game’s TV broadcasts.

WTOP chief technology officer Brian Oliger, who was present, described the chaos as follows: “It sounded like fireworks exploding behind our seat on Sec. 115, (followed), followed by a lot of panic, confused fans, and players were immediately pulled off the field.”

Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller sat on the left side of the stadium, not sure at first where the shots came from.

“It wasn’t clear if it was outside the stadium or the ball, but what was clear was that everyone was worried and scared,” Miller said.

“The corridors ran up and down the corridors. They were worried about a possible mass incident, for me a couple of seats sat a woman crying. “

Active shooter situation outdoors @National Park today. Fortunately, a safe but definitely scary moment. thank you @DCPoliceDept keep us safe. pic.twitter.com/3Fi0thS1C9

Jaime A.Varela (@ jvarela42) July 18, 2021

Arman Ramnath, 27, from nearby Arlington, Virginia, said he and a friend were sitting at a third base in the Nationals Park when they heard fireworks sound.

We were sure of what it was. Then everyone started making a profile, Ramnath said.

Ramnath said he and his friends ended up hiding behind the seats for five or more minutes. After a while, people started getting up and leaving, he said, but stadium announcements told fans to wait. Eventually they were allowed to leave.

It felt very surreal. I wasn’t sure how to react, Ramnath said. I mean, you hear about it, but you never expect it to be something that could affect you.

Padres led 8-4 when the game was suspended. It continued on Sunday at 1:05 p.m., followed by a regularly run game. Officials say fans should expect to see an increased police presence.

“After the end of a suspended game, a regularly run game starts in 25 to 45 minutes and is played as a nine-year regulatory game,” the Nationals said in a statement. “Tickets and parking tickets for a regular game can be used to gain access to both (Sunday) games.”

The shooting takes place as DC, like many other U.S. cities, faces more and more violent crimes and murders. A 6-year-old girl was killed and five other people were injured by shooting on Friday night about three miles from Nationals Park.

The Associated Press participated in this report.