Incident outside Nats' ballpark halts game

July 18th, 2021

WASHINGTON -- The Padres-Nationals game was suspended in the middle of the sixth inning Saturday night after a shooting was reported outside of the third-base gate at Nationals Park.

Between the top and bottom of the sixth, loud noises sounding like gunshots rang out from the third-base side of the ballpark, and a commotion broke out inside the stadium as fans ran through the concourse, away from the direction of the incident, and some onto the field.

Players quickly retreated into the dugouts, then their clubhouses. Some fans hid in the dugout, while others ducked behind their seats, uncertain whether the situation was ongoing or whether it had occurred inside the ballpark.

Shortly thereafter, the stadium’s public address announcer announced that the incident had occurred outside of the ballpark, asking fans to remain in the stadium. After a few minutes, fans were asked to exit the ballpark through the center-field and right-field gates.

According to tweets from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, at least four people were wounded. The account posted an update at 10 p.m. ET that there was “no ongoing threat.” The shooting took place on N Street & South Capitol SW, per the D.C. police, adjacent to the ballpark’s third-base gate.

The Padres led, 8-4, at the time of the incident. The game is scheduled to resume at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday and will be completed as a nine-inning game. The regularly scheduled game on Sunday will follow.