In the wake of Monday's shootings in Washington, D.C. that led to the death of 13 people at the nearby Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters in close proximity to Nationals Park, the Nationals have announced the postponement of Monday night's game with the NL East rival Atlanta Braves. The game will be made up with a day-night double header Tuesday with Game 1 slated at 1:05 p.m. ET and Game 2 scheduled for 7:05.
In light of today's tragedy, tonight's #Nats-#Braves game has been postponed. More details to follow at https://t.co/KuwgOfqtcm
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 16, 2013
The shootings in D.C., which happened at around 8:20 a.m. ET, resulted in the death of at least 13 civilians and the injuries of at least a dozen others. CNN reports that one suspect, Aaron Alexis, 34, was found dead at the scene of the crime while police say the hunt for another shooter is ongoing. Alexis was a military contractor from Texas, and the cause of the shootings isn't yet known, according to CNN. Police activity around the scene of the crime has clogged up most of the area around Nationals Park, leading to the cancelation of the game.
The Navy Yard metro stop is a key place for transportation that fans use to get to the Nationals' games, and USA Today reports that parking structures fans use also fall into close proximity to where the shootings took place, and that the District of Columbia Police Department used Lot B at Nationals Park as a place for family members to reunite with loved ones who work at the facility.
"All of us here in the Nationals organization were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic events that occurred this morning only a few blocks from Nationals Park," the club said in a written statement, according to MLB.com. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families."
With the shootings having taken place just blocks away, the team's statement said they didn't want to put any fans in jeopardy as the search for more shooters is ongoing.
"The safety of our fans is our utmost priority," the team's statement said, according to MLB.com. "As we have throughout the day, the Nationals security personnel will continue to work closely with all levels of law enforcement to reinforce the already high level of security in place at Nationals Park."
The Braves (89-60) hold a 10-game lead over the Nationals (79-70) in the NL East heading into Tuesday's double header.
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