Quick-Thinking Parents Ensure Pittsburgh Predators Youth Hockey Team Safely Escaped Green Bay Shooting
GREEN BAY, Wi. (KDKA) -- The Pittsburgh Predators youth hockey team was in Green Bay for a tournament and had just finished their dinner inside a hotel when gunfire rang.
"Waiting for the elevator and all of the sudden I hear pop pop pop. Five to seven rounds go off," parent Mike Belak said.
"I look to my left, and 20 yards away is where the shooting started," parent Danny Holzer said.
Belak is a former SWAT officer and current Upper St. Clair School District police officer. He ran to where the team had finished dinner to get people out.
"I think that's what I think it is, and then I heard more shots. People started screaming and yelling," he said.
One of the parents busted out a window to give another escape route.
"Just get everyone out. The idea being to remove as many victims from the scene as possible," he said.
Once the team made it to the parking lot, Holzer and his son could hear the gunfire between police and the shooter.
"You could just hear back and forth. Pop pop pop," he said.
In about 10 minutes the situation was over, and police shot and killed the suspect.
"I had to think about that for a minute really. It certainly didn't seem like that," Holzer told KDKA.
Both he and Belak credit their active shooter training for getting the team to safety.
"I wasn't scared or anything. You react. You respond to your training," Holzer said.
"It was a response to stimuli, and that's what training is about," Belak said.
The only injury was one of the player's siblings got cut on some broken glass.
"It was a great team of great people. They all kind of came together where nobody panicked," Holzer said.
As for the players, both dads said they are doing okay. They have some moments where the shooting impacts them, but they are getting the support they need.