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3 Injured In Shooting Outside D.C. Stadium During Nationals-Padres Game

Spectators leave the stadium in the sixth inning of a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres on Saturday night in D.C. after a shooting occured outside the park.
Nick Wass
/
AP
Spectators leave the stadium in the sixth inning of a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres on Saturday night in D.C. after a shooting occured outside the park.

Updated July 19, 2021 at 12:01 AM ET

Three people were wounded in a shooting outside of Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. during a home game against the San Diego Padres on Saturday night.

The shooting was an exchange of gunfire between people in two cars, said Metropolitan Police Department executive assistant police chief Ashan Benedict, according to The Associated Press.

One of the people shot was a woman who had been leaving the stadium when she was hit by gunfire, reported the AP, citing a police report. She was taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

The two other male victims were identified by police after they walked into a local hospital with gunshot wounds, according to an MPD press release. Their injuries were non-life threatening.

Some fans reported what sounded like fireworks during the sixth inning, at around 9:30 p.m., followed by crowds running to safety.

Arman Ramnath, 27, of Arlington, Va., told the AP that he was sitting in the stands when he heard the loud pops closer to his side of the stadium by third base, bordering South Capitol St. SE.

"We weren't sure what it was. Then everyone started ducking," he said.

He, like many in the stadium, sought cover behind their seats. Others fled to the Padres dugout. Crowds started to get up to leave, before an announcement came over the loudspeaker instructing fans to remain in the park. Minutes later, people were told it was safe to exit.

The game was suspended and resumed on Sunday afternoon.

"MPD does not believe the Washington Nationals, the ballpark or fans were the target," read a joint statement from the city and the Washington baseball team condemning "senseless acts of gun violence."

The MPD is seeking help from anyone with information about the incident. On Sunday the department released surveillance photos of the vehicle at large, which police described as a gray Toyota Corolla with a missing hubcap on the rear driver's side and tinted windows.

NPR's Carrie Johnson contributed to this report.


This is a breaking news story. Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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