A Texas youth baseball tournament reportedly turned into a scene of chaos on Sunday morning when a coach was allegedly shot in the shoulder while leading his team in prayer before a game.
The shooting, which sent families scrambling for cover, underscored both the vulnerability of public gatherings and the resilience of a community that immediately responded with faith and resolve.
Video obtained by NBC affiliate KPRC 2 captured the terrifying moment as at least 12 shots rang out across the field. Children, parents, and coaches scattered for safety, crawling and sprinting across the diamond to escape the gunfire.
The coach of the Houston Warriors, a team of 10-year-old boys, was hit in the shoulder during the pregame prayer.
According to KHOU 11, he was airlifted to the hospital and remained focused on his responsibilities to his players even as doctors worked to treat him. “His first question to the physicians was I need to leave because I have to go coach my kids at 3 p.m.,” the coach reportedly said.
Authorities quickly identified the alleged shooters as 23-year-old Mahmood Abdelsalam, 21-year-old Ahmad Mawed, and 27-year-old Mustafa Mohammad Matalgah.
According to a press release from the Waller County Sheriff’s Office, the three suspects discharged firearms “from a nearby pasture, in the direction of the field while a youth baseball event was taking place.” Each has been charged with deadly conduct and discharge of a firearm and given $100,000 bail.
For the families present, the incident was nothing short of harrowing. An 11-year-old player for the Texas Colts described his desperate scramble to safety. “I had to legit bear crawl to my mom on my arms,” the boy told KPRC 2.
The Colts’ coach, Alex Smith, said the trauma of the moment will stay with him. “It’s hard for me to talk about right now because of their faces. I’ll never forget looking at them,” he said, recalling the panic on his players’ expressions as shots rang out.
The shooting also sparked swift action from the community and organizers. TheRac Baseball, which operates the fields, issued a statement emphasizing both gratitude and vigilance. “In addition to the efforts of local law enforcement, we have implemented enhanced security measures for all tournament weekends,” the group said on Facebook. The facility, they added, is expected to reopen by Monday.
TheRac also stressed that the incident occurred amid what authorities described as “recreational shooting” on a nearby property, with law enforcement having previously been notified of potential illegal hunting. “We remain deeply grateful to the baseball community for their support and understanding, and we will continue to keep those affected by this accident in our thoughts and prayers,” the organization said.
That the violence struck during a team prayer only deepened the sense of outrage among parents and players.
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