Police are hailing the “clear-headed actions” of staff who saved children from an armed man who opened fire at a sports complex in Duncanville, Texas, where a summer camp was being held on Monday morning.
Deputies with the Duncanville Police Department responded to the scene within three minutes of receiving reports of a man with a handgun.
At the scene, officers exchanged gunfire with the armed man and wounded him before rushing him to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“Officers quickly located and exchanged gunfire with a suspect armed with a handgun. The suspect was wounded during the exchange,” the department said.
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A summer camp for children between the ages of 4 and 14 was taking place at the complex when the shooting happened. About 250 kids and staff were present at the scene.
Praising the staff for following the lockdown procedures efficiently, police said, “Due to the clear-headed actions of staff and the quick response time of law enforcement, there were no additional injuries.”
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Duncanville Assistant Police Chief Matthew Stogner said the man, whose identity has not been revealed, tried to enter one of the classrooms, but the door was locked. He, however, shot into the door.
“The suspect went to a classroom, was unable to get inside, and did fire one round into the classroom where there were children inside,” Stogner said.
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He then proceeded to the gym, where he was shot by cops.
“Our officers did not hesitate. They did what they were trained to do and saved lives,” Duncanville Mayor Barry Gordon told WFAA.
No children or staff members were harmed in the incident.