Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer spoke about Saturday's mass shooting in Allen, Tex., before addressing any hockey questions to the media on Sunday, describing the incident as "really close to home."
Eight people were killed and seven wounded Saturday at an outlet mall in Allen, a suburb north of Dallas, when a gunman stepped out of a sedan and opened fire on shoppers. The assailant was eventually killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said.
"It’s tragic. Frankly, when you hear victims as young as five years old … you get tired of hearing it," said DeBoer, whose team will play the Kraken on Sunday night in Seattle. "When you hear Sandy Hook and Parkland and Nashville, unless it’s in your backyard, you compartmentalize it and put it aside. Then when it happens in your backyard, you realize the horror of it."
DeBoer, 54, said he was very familiar with the mall where the mass shooting took place, saying his family shopped there, as did the Stars players. The Stars' ECHL team, the Allen Americans, play out of the town.
The head coach said the team would have to try and focus its attention on its playoff game on Sunday night.
“It’s tough to think about games when you wake up to headlines like that. We shop there," he said. "There have to be some answers."
Game 3 between Dallas and Seattle can be seen on Sportsnet and SN NOW at 9:30 p.m. ET.
— With files from The Associated Press
