Ohio police said three people were injured in a shooting outside a high school football game that sent people onto the field and spectators in the stands running for cover.
Police said the shots were fired behind the Whitmer High School stadium in Toledo around 9:30 p.m. Friday during the game with Central Catholic High School. A Whitmer student and two adults were injured, Washington Local Schools spokeswoman Katie Peters said.
“Last night was a terrible and traumatic event,” Police Chief George Kral, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and Superintendent Kadee Anstadt said in a joint statement. “Fortunately… the three victims only suffered minor injuries and all will be fine.”
Despite earlier reports that two people had been detained, police said on Saturday that no arrests had been made. Police said surveillance video “has already been helpful in identifying the potential target” and the investigation is continuing.
Dispatchers told responding police that witnesses reported that two people in black ski masks fired shots and a vehicle sped away, the Toledo Blade reported. The game was stopped with less than seven minutes remaining when police and firefighters arrived at the stadium, the newspaper reported.
“No guests were injured in the evacuation, and we couldn’t be more proud of our Whitmer students, staff, fans, and our Central Catholic guests,” Peters said. Spectators had been scanned with a metal wand for weapons before entering and 16 law enforcement officers were working the game. After the three victims were found near the soccer field house, they were treated by emergency crews before being transported to hospitals.
Lisa Gonzalez told the Toledo Blade that she was in the bathroom when she heard a gunshot and ran outside into chaos.
“Everyone was yelling, ‘They’re shooting, they’re shooting,’ and we just ran,” he said.
Kevin Parkins, principal at Central Catholic High School, said junior varsity and freshman football games scheduled for Saturday have been canceled. He said in a video statement Friday night that the central Catholic student body will meet Tuesday to “talk to them, support them, but also pray.”
“This is also an opportunity, as parents, guardians, for you to also engage in a conversation with your child,” Parkins said, reported WTOL-TV. “We have to keep fighting every day to make sure that our world, our country, our state and our community here in Northwest Ohio understand how valuable life is,” he said.
