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LEARN MOREPosted: 9:10 a.m. EDT May 1, 2023
A Texas A&M-Texarkana baseball player is recovering in the hospital after being struck by a stray bullet during a game Saturday in east Texas.
The 18-year-old ballplayer was hit around 5:30 p.m. while he was standing in the bullpen during a game against the University of Houston-Victoria at Spring Lake Park, the Texarkana Texas Police Department said in a statement.
Authorities said the incident appeared to stem from "some type of altercation" in a nearby neighborhood.
"We initially received several calls of shots fired on Lynda Street, which is in a neighborhood just west of Spring Lake Park," police said. "Moments later, we received a 911 call that a baseball player at the park had collapsed and may have been shot. We were able to almost immediately determine that the two incidents were related."
Authorities said they responded to the scene of the reported gunfire and discovered several shell casings in the front yard of a home in the neighborhood.
Following an investigation, the shooters were identified as 17-year-old Kamauri Butler and 20-year-old Demarco Banks. Police said they fled the scene before officers arrived. Felony arrest warrants have been issued for both individuals.
"Tragically, one of the shots that Butler and Banks fired at each other on Lynda Street traveled several hundred feet and struck the unsuspecting victim at the ballpark," police said.
The 18-year-old victim, who has not yet been publicly identified, was then rushed to a local hospital where he underwent surgery. Police said he is currently recovering and in stable condition.
The university's athletics department said the game was suspended due to the incident and declared a "no contest."
Officers also arrested three other men on gun and drug charges after detectives obtained a search warrant for the house and several vehicles at the scene.
Authorities are asking for anyone with information on the whereabouts of Kamauri Butler or Demarco Banks to reach out to the Texarkana Area Crime Stoppers at 903-793-STOP.
