Gunshots were fired during a Little League baseball game in North Carolina over the weekend, prompting frantic children to drop to the ground and adults to protectively shield them with their bodies, video of the frightening scene shows.
The children were participating in a tournament in Wilson, roughly 40 miles east of Raleigh, on Sunday morning when three gunshots were fired, igniting fears of an active shooter, the Wilson Police Department said in a statement.
One car was found damaged in a nearby parking lot, but no injuries were reported. There was no evidence that anyone at the ballpark was intentionally targeted in the shooting, which had resulted in no arrests as of Tuesday afternoon, police said.
Parents said the gunfire came dangerously close to the children, however, with one of the bullets landing in the field near where some of the players were standing.
“One of the shots impacted in the outfield right by my son and there were several players that were right there also,” parent Pius Walcourt told local station WITN News.
Cellphone video obtained by the station shows those children diving to the ground and others running off the field amid screams.
The South Durham Little League, whose players were competing in the match that morning, announced Monday that in the wake of the violence it has withdrawn two teams from the tournaments. Other leagues have made similar decisions, it said.
“The events were too traumatic for us to even consider having the teams return to Wilson to play,” the South Durham Little League said in a community letter that was shared on the organization’s Facebook page.
“Tragic events such as these are happening far too often in our country. We too often think it won’t happen to us. Today, it happened for 7 and 8 year old Little League players, for children and coaches we all know. It was a terrifying situation for all involved,” the letter states. “Video shows coaches bravely covering players with their bodies and crawling off baseball fields. No child or parent should ever experience anything like this.”
Another team announced its withdrawal from the tournament on Monday due to concerns about games still being held at the same field and the shooter remaining at large.
“The safety of our children is paramount,” the Myers Park Trinity Little League posted on Twitter. “There will be more baseball down the road for these boys. For now, we are just thankful that our families are safe.”