Last night’s San Diego Padres/Washington Nationals game was suspended and fans sheltered for safety after a shooting outside Nationals Park.
Multiple gunshots were fired at South Capitol Street next to the ballpark, near an entry gate. Three people were wounded, and police say the incident involved two cars driving outside Nationals Park. One of the wounded was a woman on her way to the game; she was taken to a local hospital.
The shootings caused a panic inside the ballpark, with fans fleeing their seats while others took shelter in the dugouts. The Nats urged fans to stay in the ballpark, with many seeking shelter in the concourses. From the Washington Post:
When the shooting occurred, Alaina Rodriguez, 29, and Zerik Hann, 28, of Chambersburg, Pa., said fans in Section 115 “started hitting the deck.”
“I grabbed a child in front of me because the lady in front of me didn’t really know what was happening,” Rodriguez said. “… We were down for a while, and then we saw action going on in center field, and it just kept going around the stadium. Then we see [Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.], and he’s out here, and he tells everybody, ‘Go, just go.’ I don’t know if they have family or what was going on out here, but they told everybody to go.”
Tatis and Padres teammates Manny Machado, Wil Myers and Jurickson Profar pulled family members and fans out of the stands to find safety in their dugout, where at least 50 people gathered, Hann said. Video posted online showed Patrick Corbin, the left-handed pitcher who started the game for the Nationals, roaming the concourse, his uniform untucked, while talking on the phone.
Davey Martinez said it best—our fans are our family.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 18, 2021
Thank you. pic.twitter.com/V6BJZPmQdr