A YOUNG summer camper has opened up about the horrifying moment a gunman opened fire in the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting.
The shocking incident took place at the Duncanville Fieldhouse, a Dallas-area gymnasium, on Monday, and resulted in only the death of the gunman.
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Autumn, a child who was in attendance at the camp in Duncanville, Texas, recounted to ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA: “He went into the room, and then we heard shooting.
“Then we got scared and everybody started crying.”
She added: “They just told us to stay quiet. There were showers in the men’s restrooms so we hid in there.”
Another camper, Jordan, was also sheltered in place during the potentially deadly shooting.
Jordan told the news outlet: “We all went to the back when we heard a couple of shots.
“I was just praying that nothing would happen–that he wouldn’t come upstairs where we were.”
Approximately 250 children – ranging between the ages of four to 15 – were at the fieldhouse for day camp when the shooting occurred at around 8.43am on Monday, as per authorities.
Police responded immediately to the scene where they fatally shot a man who fired gunshots at the fieldhouse, according to The Associated Press.
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No children, staffers, or police officers were injured in the shooting, authorities said.
Duncanville Mayor Barry Gordon told WFAA that police exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was allegedly equipped with a handgun, within minutes of the shooting.
He told the news outlet: “Our officers did not hesitate.
“They did what they were trained to do and saved lives.”
Duncanville Assistant Police Chief Matthew Stogner revealed a shot was fired by the unidentified man following a chat with a staff member.
Stogner said the gunman attempted to go inside a classroom with children but was unable to open the locked door.
After firing one shot into the door, the gunman made his way towards the gym, which also had children inside, Stogner explained.
Police arrived as the man was headed toward the athletic area, just two minutes after they began receiving phone calls, where they exchanged gunfire.
The gunman, who has not yet been identified, was transported to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
And an investigation into the shooting is now underway by the Texas Rangers.
Meanwhile, a camp counselor in charge of around 40 campers at the fieldhouse, told an NBC affiliate her group was ready to play a game when a gunshot was fired.
Naomi Rodgers told NBC DFW another staffer rushed into the room she was in and closed the door, warning: “We have an active shooter right now!”
The 18-year-old camp counselor said: “We had to move them all across the room because the building is glass and we had to find a safe space.
“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.”
She continued: “The glass started to fall and I just started to pray then because that’s all I could do.
“I know what happened at Uvalde and I was like this cannot happen.
“Not today. Not today.”
The Duncanville Fieldhouse shooting comes just weeks after a school shooting was reported at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022.
It ultimately took the lives of at least 18 students and three adults, including fourth-grade teacher Eva Mireles.
Duncanville is about 350 miles north of Uvalde, Texas.
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