LAWRENCE, Indiana — The Indy Gladiators Soccer Club was back on the same field where – just days earlier – three of their teammates were grazed by stray bullets.
In a playoff championship Saturday, the team focused on the game despite the danger they encountered there just days ago.
During a late-night practice at the FC Pride Field, stray bullets grazed some members of the team.
"As potentially traumatizing and jarring as it was, we are all here for one reason and that's we want to play, and we want to win," said team captain Andrew Gold.
Police said the bullets came from people in two cars who started shooting at each other near 62nd and Carroll Road.
"One was chasing after another. The one in front was shooting backward. The bullets came all the way down. Some hit the shipping container over there," Gold said.
The victims included two coaches. All three survived, but the shooting left some of them feeling traumatized.
"Our assistant coach Mia ended up going to the hospital out of protocol. We had another coach with a scratch on his shin. Another guy with a burn on his hip. A couple of other guys, myself included, heard them pass by us or bounce off the turf," Gold said.
A large crowd showed up Saturday to cheer the team on and show support after hearing what happened.
"I live in the neighborhood that's right behind here. It's in my backyard. It's heartbreaking. You want the area you live in to be safe, and you want to be able to play games without being shot," said Zach Cramer.
Gold said the team appreciates all the support and they're ready to put the spotlight back on the field and the game.
"It shook everybody I think, but it also brought us closer," Gold said. "You can't focus on the what ifs. It's about being grateful and moving forward."
Police are still working to get suspect and car descriptions to find the people responsible for the shooting.