A woman was taking in a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game on Tuesday night when she was reportedly struck by what police believe to be a stray bullet.
The 34-year-old victim, who was not identified, was sitting in Section 141, behind the home team’s dugout, when she felt a pain in her arm. She was treated at a first aid station, and workers there contacted an off-duty police officer working security. The fan was treated and released, according to a Cardinals statement.
Moments before the incident, police sources had received a call about shots fired at an intersection outside the stadium. Police believe that the bullet that struck the woman may have come from someone firing a round into the air from outside the stadium, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Todd Porter, a witness who had been attending the game with his 13-year-old-son, told the Post-Dispatch that the victim suddenly said, “Wow, I think I’ve been shot.”
“We thought she was joking, but everybody turned around and she showed me the blood coming down from her elbow,” Porter said. “It looked real purple and red and it looked like there was a hole in her jacket.” Porter said that the woman picked up a bullet slug from underneath her seat.
Porter and his son, who were sitting just in front of the woman who was hit, promptly left the game, fearing that more shooting could follow.
The Cardinals released a statement on Wednesday addressing the incident:
We are aware of an incident last night in which a fan reported being struck by a stray bullet that presumably originated from outside of the stadium. The fan was treated for an abrasion and a bruise on her arm at First Aid and released. She was interviewed by police who are investigating the matter. There is nothing more important than the safety of our fans, and the Cardinals are grateful that no one was seriously injured. We will be sharing more information with the media as further details emerge.
The fan has reportedly retained an attorney, and has been advised not to speak to the media.
