Washington D.C. baseball fans were horrified Saturday night when a shootout involving two cars occurred just outside the Nationals baseball stadium.
According to CBS Sports, the shots could be heard clearly by the many fans who were sitting inside the stadium watching the game, some of whom fled to the nearby team dugouts to find cover.
The gunfire was even audible to fans watching and listening to television and radio broadcasts of the game.
The D.C. Police Department stated the incident sent three people to the hospital—two suspects who were directly involved in the shooting, as well as a woman who was attending the game but had been outside the stadium when the shots rang out.
Since the event, the internet has been struck by the words of an eight-year-old girl who was in the ball park and witnessed the entire thing.
Faris Nunn, 8, was sitting by third base in Nationals Park with her family when shots rang out: \u201cIt was my second shooting. So I was kind of prepared ... I always am expecting something to happen.\u201d\n\nWe don\u2019t have to live like this. Text ACT to 644-33.pic.twitter.com/5ESwhgBfJP— Shannon Watts (@Shannon Watts) 1626655035
Viewers of her video interview were heartbroken to hear this was the second time she's been in an active shooter situation like this.
In a tweet posted by The Tennessee Holler, 8-year-old Faris Nunn explained how quickly it all happened.
"I saw people looking that way. And I didn't know what was going on until I heard someone say get down, so I just started going under the seats."
When she elaborated on another key detail, the stark context of a trauma like this came into view.
"It was my second shooting. So I was kind of prepared ... because I always am expecting something to happen."
8 YEAR-OLD who was at the Nats game: "It was my 2nd shooting, so I was kind of prepared. I\u2019m always expecting something to happen." \n\nA gun-sick nation. pic.twitter.com/EJOA9HUrq1— The Tennessee Holler (@The Tennessee Holler) 1626656344
For Twitter users who saw the video, Nunn's hauntingly casual explanation was worth a thousand words.
Children shouldn\u2019t have to be prepared for something bad to happen. Our society has a problem, when are kids are exposed to traumatic events, far too often.— Tommy Randolph (@Tommy Randolph) 1626658498
The phone of every member of Congress should be ringing off the hook, non-stop, until we get gun law reform. How have we allowed ourselves to be a society where we watch something like this & then just have to go on with our days, burying the gutted feeling we have?— Serenity Now! (@Serenity Now!) 1626702782
The gun obsession in America is crazy, still waiting on these promised good guys with guns.\nThe public don't need assault rifles and other military grade weapons— mark sharratt (@mark sharratt) 1626658545
Funny i live in what US Americans call a 3rd world country in America as well and yet I never had to undergo an active shooter drill, actually they don\u2019t exist here. Funny how that works.— Rivet (@Rivet) 1626669953
Horse shit. If a child in a supposed 1st world nation has to have experience rivaling a combat veteran by middle school because we place an inanimate object over human safety and rights...we have lost our way.— Jason Free (@Jason Free) 1626666614
Quote of the Day. Our nation is ill.\n#GunControlNow \n#GunReformNow— Carl LaFlamme (@Carl LaFlamme) 1626672757
THIS is really messed up\u2026any person that\u2019s reasonable should agree this child shouldn\u2019t be this calm when talking about an experience such as this.— A Concerned Citizen of the US of A (@A Concerned Citizen of the US of A) 1626662845
The events of Saturday night had a clear impact on parents who hoped to bring their children to the game on the following day.
WUSA 9 spoke to many parents who were forced to acknowledge the dangerous realities that became so clear on Saturday.
One parent, for example, shared how she consulted the park map to gauge the situation.
"Our seats are right by a door or an exit. So yeah, we're good. We're right behind the bullpen. So we're in the back and we know how to get out."
But as we've seen so many times in the USA, these tragedies tend to fade from view.
Until the next one comes along.
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