Cassopolis man injured in shooting at Constantine little league game

Published 9:58 am Thursday, May 6, 2021

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CONSTANTINE, Mich. — A Cassopolis man is being treated for injuries following a shooting during a Constantine little league game Wednesday night.

Around 8 p.m. Wednesday, officers with the Constantine Police Department were called to Constantine Little League Complex at Meadow Lane and S. Washington Street on reports of shots fired.

Officers arrived on scene roughly one minute after dispatch and found a 38-year-old Cassopolis man with multiple gunshot injuries.  The victim was conscious and alert and was treated by medical first responders before being transported by helicopter to South Bend Memorial Hospital, where he underwent surgery.

“At present, we do not know his condition,” reported Chief of Police Mark Honeysett.

At least two ballgames were played at the little league field last evening, and both had either just finished their games or were very nearly finished, according to police. Most of the ballplayers and spectators were still at the field at the time of the shooting, but none were injured.

No arrests have been made at this time.

Niles resident Casey Couch was at the complex at the time of the shooting officiating an Edwardsburg-Constantine little league game. The game was in the bottom of the third or fourth inning when he heard eight to 10 shots ring out in quick succession. Immediately, he thought the sound came from turkey hunters, or even fireworks. It was not until he heard players and parents from the neighboring field yelling “run” that he realized a shooting had taken place.

“It was definitely terror once you realized it was a shooter, and you just worry about the kids and the parents who were directly next to it,” Couch said.

Though no one other than the 38-year-old Cassopolis man were injured, Couch said those who were present at the time of the shooting were deeply affected by the incident.

“Our daughter is still pretty shaken up. Our son deals with it differently and is joking around to try to suppress that fear,” he said. “I know the coaches are all shaken up. … and the players and parents are all really shaken up and traumatized by the incident. It is definitely hard to see something as innocent as a softball game, and then to have that happen definitely instilled fear in everyone. Not knowing who [the shooter] was and that he was able to flee the scene was pretty scary at the time.”

The incident remains under investigation, but anyone with information is urged by officers to call the Constantine Police Department at (269) 435-2085.

Constantine police were assisted at the scene by the Michigan State Police and the Major Crime Task Force under the direction of the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department.