There was panic at a youth basketball tournament after an argument between adults and the display of a gun. Within seconds, one of the games turned to confusion and chaos.
Dustin Hill was watching his daughter’s basketball game in Mansfield at the sports complex known as The Field House.
Hill's family drove down from Oklahoma to participate in the tournament taking place at several locations across North Texas. His daughter had the ball in her hand when the situation quickly changed and people started running.
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“We saw a bunch of the kids start running from the courts close to the main entrance,” Hill said.
He said he heard what sounded like a gunshot. And someone in the crowd yelled, “Shots fired.”
As a retired law enforcement officer, his instincts kicked in.
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“The first thing that went through my mind was to make sure my wife and kids were safe,” said Hill. “Get them to safety. Get those around me to safety. And then try to do our best to mitigate loss.”
Mansfield Police said they responded to the Field House for calls of a fight in progress and possible shots fired. They told NBC 5 that a parent and opposing coach were asked to leave the location, and one of them went to his car and got a gun. Police said there is no evidence that shots were fired.
They did, however, examine surveillance footage and video taken on cell phone cameras. Police found that someone had tripped over a table causing it to fall, resulting in what sounded like a gunshot.
Still, Hill said the argument between adults and a gun being retrieved was problematic.
“You see a lot of emotions. Everybody obviously wants their kids to succeed. This is one of those times where I think cooler heads could’ve prevailed,” he said.
NBC 5 reached out to Premier Basketball, an organization advertising the basketball tournament on their website as the ‘Heart of Texas Showcase.’ NBC 5 has yet to receive a response.
Hill said this experience changes how his family will approach tournaments moving forward.
“I would say that we walked in there feeling rather safe and secure at that event,” Hill said. “But I think the next time this occurs, we’ll be looking over our shoulder to ensure that our kids are one step safer.”
Mansfield Police tells us they’ve identified both people involved in the altercation, and it is still under investigation.
