At 8:43am this morning, Duncanville police officers were dispatched to the Duncanville Fieldhouse, located in the 1700 block of S. Main Street at Highway 67, for reports of a possible active shooter inside the building. At least one 9-1-1 caller reported hearing gunshots.
At 8:45am, first arriving Duncanville police officers immediately went into the building and began a search for the shooter while children and adults fled outside.
Officers quickly located the armed individual and engaged in a shootout with the suspect. He was shot at least once. Duncanville paramedics transported him to a local hospital, but he was pronounced deceased.
Preliminary investigation indicates the suspect walked into the front door armed with a handgun. An employee encountered the man and at least one shot was fired by the suspect. Other employees immediately began locking doors to safeguard the children. Police say the man attempted to get into a classroom, but he was unsuccessful. The suspect then moved into the gymnasium where first-arriving officers exchanged gunshots with him.
The summer camp for 4 to 14-year-olds was beginning its second week with an average attendance of over 250 campers and staff, police say. Due to the clear-headed actions of staff and the quick response time of law enforcement, there were no additional injuries. DeSoto PD and Cedar Hill PD also responded to this incident.
Duncanville ISD assisted by providing safe transportation for children, moving them by school bus from the Fieldhouse to the Duncanville Recreation Center, which was established as a reunification center. As of this release, all the children have been picked up by parents or guardians.
The Texas Department of Public Safety will be handing the officer involved shooting investigation.
