'Told The Kids It Was Fireworks:' Parents Worry After Gunshots Were Heard Near OKC Park

An Oklahoma City dad is worried after he hears gunshots during a little league baseball game at Dolese Park near Northwest 50th Street and Meridian Avenue.

That dad coaches the team and thinks more needs to be done to protect everyone who uses the park.

On any given weeknight, Dolese Youth Park's parking lot is filled, and hundreds of families come and go to play soccer and baseball.

Last Tuesday night, gunshots rang out during one of the many games going on.

“Gunshots, a couple of rounds went off. We told the kids it was fireworks,” said Jess Webber, a father and coach. 

Jess Webber says everything went back to normal until it happened again. “People started ducking, and the umpire got down, so that became a little more concerning for us,” said Webber. 

Oklahoma City Police say shots were fired at the Willow Cliff Apartments around eight that night.

When they arrived, police found rounds from a rifle and handgun. They also found a pistol magazine. “A bunch of gunshots were going off. There was a little kid baseball game going on, and it did sound like fireworks,” said Terry Helton, who heard the gunshots.

Helton was playing disc golf the night it happened across the park. He says he watched families worry about what to do next.

OCPD says they have only had two other calls to the apartment complex in the past year, neither related to shootings. 

Still, police are taking parents' concerns seriously and are discussing adding patrols around this area.