ST LOUIS, MO - APRIL 19: A general view of Busch Stadium as the Pittsburgh Pirates play the St. Louis Cardinals during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium on April 19, 2017 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Curry/Getty Images)

Fan reportedly struck by a bullet while in attendance at MLB game

How does this even happen?

Patrons inside sporting events have an expectation of safety but, on Tuesday night, a fan taking in the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers didn't get that. USA Today Sports brings word that an unidentified 34-year-old woman was struck by a stray bullet within close proximity to the home team's dugout and that the bullet itself was identified near her seat after she had a cut and some pain.

The Cardinals released the following statement:

"We are aware of an incident last night in which a fan reported being struck by a stray bullet that presumably originated from outside of the stadium. The fan was treated for an abrasion and a bruise on her arm at first aid and released. She was interviewed by police who are investigating the matter. There is nothing more important than the safety of our fans, and the Cardinals are grateful that no one was seriously injured. We will be sharing more information with the media as further details emerge."

This is a wildly bizarre situation, especially given that the fan was not anywhere near an entrance/exit of the stadium and was presumably surrounded by many others. More details are almost sure to follow but this is a situation in which everyone should be thankful that she is okay.