Staffers are being hailed after their quick response helped keep children safe when a gunman opened fire Monday at a Texas sports complex where a summer camp was being held, police said.
The Duncanville Police Department said they received calls Monday morning about a man with a handgun at the Fieldhouse, and officers arrived in less than three minutes. After they located the suspect, officers exchanged gunfire with the gunman and wounded him. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A summer camp for 4- to 14-year-olds was starting its second week at the complex when the shooting happened. Police praised the staff for flawlessly following lockdown procedures at the camp, which has about 250 kids and staff.
“Due to the clear-headed actions of staff and the quick response time of law enforcement, there were no additional injuries,” Duncanville police said.
Duncanville Police Assistant Chief Matthew Stogner said at a news conference that the gunman entered through the main lobby of the Fieldhouse and gunfire erupted after a staff member confronted the shooter. After hearing the gunshots, camp counselors moved the children into a safe area and began locking the doors, Stogner said. The suspect then went on and fired one round into a locked classroom with children inside, he said.
“Fortunately, no one was injured,” Stogner said.
Children were transported from the Fieldhouse to the Duncanville Recreation Center, which was established as a reunification center. All children were picked up by parents or guardians.
Duncanville Mayor Barry L. Gordon said the gunman was looking for a woman, CBS Dallas-Fort Worth reports. The Texas Department of Public Safety will investigate the officer-involved shooting.
The incident comes less than a month after the Uvalde school massacre where 19 students and two teachers were shot and killed, raising concerns over law enforcement response.