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An armed man was killed by police officers Monday morning after he fired at least twice inside the Duncanville Fieldhouse during a youth summer camp, officials said.
During a news conference, Duncanville Assistant Chief of Police Matthew Stogner said officers responded within minutes of the call for help. No children, camp staff members, counselors or police officers were hurt. Here’s what we know so far:
The fieldhouse was hosting a summer camp
More than 250 children between the ages of 4 and 14 were at the field house for a summer camp.
Naomi Rodgers, a camp counselor, told KXAS-TV (NBC5) that she was working with about 40 children and they were about to play a game when they heard the gunshot at about 8:43 a.m.
“We had to move them all across the room because the building is glass and we had to find a safe space,” Rodgers told NBC5. “The shooter actually came to our door … and he said if we didn’t let him see who he wanted to see he was going to shoot the place up.”
Children were reunited with their parents Monday with the help of Duncanville ISD and DeSoto and Cedar Hill police departments, Stogner said.
The gunman fired at least twice inside the building
Police said the man entered the field house through the main lobby doors with a handgun. He exchanged words with a camp staff member and fired one round, prompting calls to police.
Camp counselors and staff members then moved the children into a safe area and began locking doors, according to Stogner. The gunman attempted to enter one classroom but was not able to get inside because the door was locked, Stogner said. He shot at the classroom door, where there were children inside, he said.
The gunman then moved into the gymnasium and was gunned down by police, Stogner said.
Police responded within minutes
Stogner said the first call for help came in at 8:43 a.m., and police were on the fieldhouse grounds by 8:45 a.m. He said officers at the department recently took part in active shooter training and “did exactly what they were trained to do.”
The incident comes nearly three weeks after the massacre in Uvalde, where a gunman killed 21 people, including 19 children, at Robb Elementary School before he was killed by authorities.
Law enforcement in Uvalde has come under fire for its response to the shooting. According to a timeline from the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, one hour and 20 minutes elapsed between the first call to 911 and police finally confronting the shooter, who had fired at least 142 rounds in the school.
“We obviously understand what took place south of us,” Stogner said. “I can only talk about how we responded here and we did an exceptional job.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety will investigate
The man’s name was not released Monday, and a motive has not been determined.
Stogner said because the shooting involved police officers, the department has asked that the investigation be led by the Texas Department of Public Safety. More details will be released after an investigation, the department said Monday evening.