BELTON, Texas (KXXV) — A fatal shooting at Belton Lake Saturday night sparked chaos as witnesses described hearing gunfire and rushing to help the victim before medics arrived.
- A fatal shooting occurred Saturday night at Belton Lake during a gathering, prompting panic and emergency response from Fort Hood officials.
- Eyewitnesses described hearing multiple gunshots and attempted to provide life-saving aid to the victim before medics arrived.
- The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division is leading the investigation, and the incident remains under investigation.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“We heard gunshots go off out of nowhere, just ‘bam bam bam’,” said one eyewitness.
That's how one man, who has chosen to remain unidentified, is describing the scene at Belton Lake on Saturday night.
Chaos and confusion as nearby residents hear sirens and a voice announcing an ‘active shooter’.
“I knew that something went down but I did not expect it to be that serious, I didn't know that someone was going to be dying on the other end of what was happening,” said one eye witness.
Officials from Fort Hood could be seen in the area, blocking off the scene while they responded to the incident.
25 News spoke to one man who was there. He said there was a party going on under a nearby awning, that’s when he recalls hearing shots fired.
“I’m looking in the distance at the party that’s going on and everyone is dispersing and I see them running away and at that moment I realized ‘Holy crap there is someone with a gun’,” said the witness.
He and other local civilians attempted to save the victim's life.
“All I see is a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen, me and others are trying to help stabilize this guy and keep him alive. We put a chest seal on him and tried to make sure he was good, but at that point, the medic showed up, and I knew that was all I could do with my knowledge,” said the witness.
Sunday afternoon, the base would then release this statement, confirming that the incident led to a fatality:
“An incident occurred last night at Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area involving an altercation that resulted in a fatal shooting. The incident is currently under investigation.
At this time, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) is the lead agency and the official release authority for all details related to the incident. If you have any information you would like to share with Army CID investigators, you can go to the Army CID Submit a Tip portal at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=325.
For media inquiries or official updates, please direct your questions to CID Public Affairs at CIDPAO@army.mil.
Fort Cavazos officials will continue to support CID as they conduct their investigation and ensure the safety and security of our community.”
But for witnesses who saw the incident first-hand, it’s something they’ll never forget.
“It definitely hurts to know that he did pass away, but we tried our best and did everything that we could,” said the witness.
Leaving one message for the victim’s family.
“I’m sorry to the victims family, it’s tragic what happened and I wish that it would have never happened in the first place,” said one witness.
The incident is still under investigation by the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
