BASEBALL fans began fleeing Nationals Park during a game after gunshots were heard outside.
The game was suspended during the sixth inning and was rescheduled to resume on Sunday, July 18, 2021.
What happened outside Nationals Park and how many people were injured?
Two cars were exchanging gunfire outside Nationals Park in Washington DC, subsequently sending the stadium into a panic during a baseball game.
Police say at least three people were injured in the shooting, including one innocent bystander who was struck as the firing occurred outside of the park's third base gate.
The innocent bystander, a woman, was transported to the hospital and her injuries are not considered to be life-threatening, the Metropolitan Police Department said during a Saturday night press conference.
The other two people were reportedly in the same car and walked into area hospitals to be treated for gunshot wounds.
Police say the shooting was not related to the game.
A series of shots were heard in the background in the live broadcast of the game at the bottom of the sixth inning, just as the Padres took to the field.
At least seven separate gunshots can be heard in the clip.
What did people say about the Nationals Park shooting?
Fans inside the stadium were urged to shelter in place by the stadium announcer.
Read our Nationals Shooting live blog for the latest news and updates…
In a tweet, the team later encouraged fans 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," the Nationals wrote.
Some fans were trying to get out of the stands, with some rushing to the field midgame.
Umpire crew chief Mark Carlson told the Associated Press: “It was just a chaotic scene.
"We heard what sounded like rapid gunfire. We didn't know where it was coming from."
Ted Borenstein, 26, was at the game with his girlfriend and his best friend, celebrating her birthday and “having a great time” when he heard what he thought were fireworks.
Borenstein told the AP that he quickly realized it was serious when he saw people in the stands start filing out and watched Padres star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. "bolt from the field."
In the stadium’s Diamond Club, where he and his friends were, people were hiding under tables and chairs, believing there was a shooter inside the stadium.
“People were down on the ground, kind of petrified, trying to calm down the younger kids,” he said. “I was taken aback, I was scared."
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