A shocking incident occurred at a youth baseball tournament in Katy, Texas, when gunfire erupted on a field filled with children. During a pre-game prayer, a coach was shot in the shoulder, prompting chaos among players and spectators.
The Waller County Sheriff’s Office reported that three men have been arrested in connection with the shooting. Mahmood Abdelsalam Rababah, 23, Ahmad Mawed, 21, and Mustafa Mohammad Matalgah, 27, are facing felony charges of deadly conduct with a firearm. Each was given a bond set at $100,000.
The shooting took place at The Rac Katy, where the suspects were reportedly engaging in recreational shooting from a pasture about 600 to 700 yards away from the baseball field. One of their stray bullets hit the 27-year-old coach as he led the young players in prayer.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic. Andy Baize, founder of the Houston Warriors, recounted how the coach bravely shielded a child and then helped others find safety, even after being injured. “He literally took the bullet for a child that was to his left,” Baize said. The coach’s first instinct was to protect the kids, showing remarkable courage in a terrifying moment.
Emergency responders quickly airlifted the coach to a hospital, where he received treatment and was later released. A bystander used a belt to stop the bleeding until paramedics arrived.
The incident was alarming enough that bullets struck a nearby light pole. Coaches and players were seen scrambling for cover as gunfire rang out. Alex Smith and Corbin Geisendorff, coaches for the Texas Colts 12U team, noted that they had heard gunfire the day before but thought it was distant. On this day, however, the danger was unmistakably close.
Geisendorff expressed his shock, saying, “There were bullets flying everywhere … onto the field, off the poles. We’ll never be back there.” Smith added that he would never forget the terrified faces of the children during the shooting. He praised their trust in the coaches, noting they managed to get the kids safely to their parents.
After surgery, the injured coach’s first words were about returning to coach his team, highlighting his dedication and the seriousness of the situation they all faced.
In response to the shooting, The Rac Katy has paused all games and is cooperating with an internal and police investigation. They have pledged to do everything possible to prevent such an event from happening again.
