Police in a town outside Dallas, Texas, helped avert a tragedy Monday morning after a gunman opened fire inside a facility hosting a children’s summer camp.
The incident occurred at the Duncanville Fieldhouse, a sports complex on 1700 S. Main Street, Duncanville, according to a Monday news release from the Duncanville Police Department.
There were around 250 children and staff within the facility when it went into lockdown after the first few gunshots. Children between the ages of 4 to 14 were present at the camp, which was in its second week.
Police started receiving reports at around 8:43 a.m. that day of an armed individual inside the Duncanville Fieldhouse. The callers mentioned that someone fired shots inside the sports complex. Responding to the incident, cops arrived on the scene at 8:45 a.m. They subsequently began a search for the armed man.
A few minutes later, police “quickly located and exchanged gunfire with a suspect armed with a handgun,” the Duncanville Police Department said.
During the gunfight, officers managed to injure the suspect, who was given first aid and then taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
No child, staff member or police officer suffered any harm during the incident, Duncanville Assistant Chief of Police Matthew Stogner confirmed during a news briefing following the encounter, CNN reported.
The gunman had walked into the building through its main lobby doors, Stogner said. He then fired at least one round.
“‘It appears that a staff member and he exchanged — whether it’s discussions, a talk, but that was the initial gunfire’ that alerted others in the building,” Stogner said.
Will actions like this make politicians reconsider defunding the police?
After hearing the gunshots, counselors quickly began to escort children to a safe area and seal the doors.
The assistant police chief said that the gunman headed to a nearby classroom. However, because the door was locked, he could not get inside.
Unable to enter the room, he fired into the classroom where children were located.
The man then made his way to the gymnasium, where more children were present; however, he did not fire at them.
Police found the suspect in the gymnasium, where a gunfight ensued after authorities confronted the armed man, resulting in the suspect being wounded.
Gunman killed by police at Texas summer camp had opened fire near classroom filled with kids.
No children, staff members or police were harmed as the deadly confrontation unfolded at the Duncanville Fieldhouse just outside Dallas: @davidkli, @NBCNews https://t.co/9NrSzFV1IP
— Shomari Stone (@shomaristone) June 14, 2022
“Camp and Fieldhouse staff followed lockdown procedures. Due to the clear-headed actions of staff and the quick response time of law enforcement, there were no additional injuries,” the police department said. “Duncanville Police officers followed their training, and the city commends them for their actions today.”
The Duncanville Police Department has asked the Texas Department of Public Safety to investigate the incident.
