On Saturday night, gunshots rang out during the San Diego Padres game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington D.C.
On Sunday morning, Padres manager Jayce Tingler made his first public comments since the shooting.
"It's a nightmare. It's the thing you think about maybe in the back of your mind," said Tingler as he fought back tears during a pre-game zoom media session.
"We got the guys as quick as we could. You're trying to them off the field, trying to get them in and there was just a lot going on, and then it dawns on you the bullpen guys and the families and moms. dads, brothers, children, you know it's a lot."
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Shortly after the gunshots rang out, while most were still unsure whether the shooting was inside or outside the ballpark, Fernando Tatis Jr. and other Padre players left the safety of the dugout and went into the stands to bring family and fans into the dugout and the locker room.
Tingler found it hard to express his appreciation for the courage his players showed.
"I couldn't be any more proud to be a Padre," said Tingler, once again pausing to wipe away tears. "To be with the men in there and obviously they are going out and thinking of their loved ones and their getting their families, it's just human nature seeing fans and people in panic, they did the right thing."
Minutes after the shots were heard, a message appeared on the Nationals Park scoreboard saying the shooting was outside of the park. According to Tingler, that was the team's first chance to breathe a sigh of relief.
"We started to get word that everything happened right outside the stadium. That's when we started to feel a little bit better. You never feel great."
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The game which was suspended in the middle of the 6th inning Saturday night, resumed Sunday morning. The Padres added 2 more runs and beat the Nationals 10-4.
