Police arrived at the Duncanville Fieldhouse, a large indoor facility, approximately two minutes after receiving an emergency call, the Duncanville Police Department said in a news release.
“Officers quickly located and exchanged gunfire with a suspect armed with a handgun. The suspect was wounded during the exchange,” the department said. The man was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said, and no children, staff or officers were harmed in the incident. The identity of the gunman was not disclosed by police.
The armed man had entered “through the main lobby doors with a handgun,” and at least one round was then fired, Duncanville Assistant Chief of Police Matthew Stogner said at a press conference Monday.
“It appears that a staff member and he exchanged — whether it’s discussions, a talk, but that was the initial gunfire” that alerted others in the building, Stogner said. Counselors immediately began moving children to a safe area and locking doors, he said.
“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.
The suspect then moved to the gymnasium where other kids were located, police said, but no shots were fired. Officers arrived at the scene and saw the suspect in the gymnasium, and shots were exchanged after confronting him, police said.
“Camp and Fieldhouse staff followed lockdown procedures. Due to the clear-headed actions of staff and the quick response time of law enforcement, there were no additional injuries,” the police said. “Duncanville Police officers followed their training, and the City commends them for their actions today.”
The summer camp is for ages 4-year-olds to 14-year-olds and was beginning its second week with an average attendance of more than 250 campers and staff, police said.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has been asked to take over the investigation, Duncanville police said. A motive for the shooting has yet to be established.
Duncanville is located approximately 10 miles south of downtown Dallas.