SAN ANTONIO – A shooting that left two police officers critically injured and one suspect dead caught nearby residents and witnesses off guard, with many running for cover to escape the gunfire.
“There were a lot of shots. It was a lot of shots fired,” said Alysia Garcia, who works at a nearby business.
Panic followed after gunshots rang near West Evergreen Street and North Main Avenue. San Antonio police rushed to the scene while witnesses ran for cover.
"I was coming out of the parking garage, and you know how you hold the gate for somebody if they're running towards the elevator or whatever? Well, I did that for a young woman and she seemed a little frazzled in the elevator. And I asked her, ‘Are you OK?’ And she was like, ‘No, somebody just got shot outside of my apartment,” Arrie Harris said.
Others heard about the shooting through text messages or social media. Tobin Lofts nearby asked their tenants to stay away from the area or go on lockdown.
“I was thinking, ‘What is going on? Who's getting shot?’ And I found out officers are getting shot, and I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh, my God, not at the apartments I'm living at,” Ricky Cazares said.
Those near the shooting said they were thankful to the San Antonio Police Department for a quick response.
“Knowing that everything has calmed down, I feel safe. Things happen. We are not in a completely safe world,” Cazares said.
Many people said they’re praying for the officers who were hurt and their families.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg released a statement saying: "Today was a difficult day for the San Antonio Police Department and the San Antonio community when two officers were shot in the line of duty.
"We appreciate the work of the doctors and nurses at SAMMC.
"We know one officer was gravely wounded and another was seriously wounded.
We ask for your continued prayers for our officers, their families and the SAPD community."
A second suspect was taken in for questioning.
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