Announcers Recall Moment Shots Were Fired At Del City Basketball Game

Del City switched to virtual learning Wednesday after a shooting that happened Tuesday night on Del City High School's campus. 

Videos have been circling social media of the shooting at the Del City and Millwood basketball game, and a video of two announcers' reactions is going viral. News 9 spoke to those announcers Wednesday about their thoughts during the incident.

One of the announcers was a police officer, and the other has a military background. Both said their training kicked in when they heard the shots.

“People are starting to file out and you hear ‘boom boom’ and see muzzle flash, and I knew immediately- someone has a gun; someone fired a gun," Dwayne Doolittle, one of the announcers at the game, said.

“It was surreal," Eric Ross, another announcer at the game, said.

Shots rang out right as the game was ending, as Ross and Doolittle were finishing the broadcast. 

In a viral video, you can hear the gunshots and Doolittle quickly said, "Let's go to break." 

Both announcers ducked for cover, but never showed fear in the midst of the chaos and panic.

“You could just see the panic and hear the panic in people's voices," Ross said. “Basically, just kinda stayed calm and assessed the situation.”

“Just to remain cool, calm and collected as best we could even when it was chaotic all around us," Doolittle said.

Doolittle explained that they didn't want to cause more panic to anybody watching their broadcast.

“Immediately we took cover, but of course, as journalists, we didn't wanna alarm the public, so I just instinctively pushed the button and said ‘let's go to break,’" Doolittle said.

Doolittle has been a police officer for over 25 years.

“My law enforcement tendencies kicked in, and I started scanning the crowd looking for anybody who had been struck or anybody with a weapon. Halfway between being a radio announcer, a broadcaster and still knowing I had some responsibilities to preserve any evidence that I could or render any aid that I could," Doolittle said.

Luckily nobody inside the gym was shot, but one person outside was shot and transported to a hospital where he is recovering.

Mid-Del Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Cobb said in a statement today: “It seems like our game happened to be the venue chosen by people who have no connection to the school to cause trouble.”

For Cobb's full statement, click here.