Jeffco school leaders vow to increase security after gun at football game causes panic

1 year ago 27

THE WVTM 13 APP. ANOTHER HEADLINES TODAY. WE’RE JUST ONE WEEK INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SEASON AND ALREADY CONCERNS ARE BEING RAISED OVER SAFETY. YEAH, SCARY SITUATIONS PLAYING OUT IN AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OVER THE WEEKEND, ONE DOWN ON THE COAST AND THE OTHER IN HUEYTOWN W WVTM 13. LISA CRANE JOINING US LIVE IN HUEYTOWN TONIGHT. AND THAT’S WHERE A 16 YEAR OLD WITH A GUN MANAGED TO GET INSIDE THE STADIUM. LISA. YEAH, A FRIGHTENING SITUATION HERE AT HUEYTOWN HIGH ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS HURT AND POLICE ARRESTED THE STUDENT WHO ALLEGEDLY BROUGHT THAT GUN TO THE GAME. AND IN MOBILE, A VERY SIMILAR SITUATION ON SATURDAY NIGHT AT A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME THERE ALSO CAUSED PANIC POTENTIAL AND WHAT IT TAKES TO COME AWAY WITH THE WIN AS ANNOUNCERS CALL THE GEIGER BLOUNT GAME IN MOBILE ON SATURDAY, YOU CAN SEE A PANIC IN THE STANDS. THEN ON THE FIELD, PLAYERS DROP TO THE GROUND IN THIS CASE, IT WAS A FIGHT IN A BATHROOM THAT CAUSED THE CHAOS. NO WEAPON FOUND AT LADD-PEEBLES STADIUM, BUT IT WAS A 16 YEAR OLD WITH A GUN WHO CAUSED A VERY SIMILAR SCENE HERE AT HUEYTOWN HIGH ON FRIDAY NIGHT. EVERYBODY WAS WAS REALLY, REALLY NERVOUS AND SCARED. THE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WERE ALL LAYING DOWN ON THE FIELD LIKE THEY HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO DO UNTIL EVERYTHING WAS CLEAR. MAYOR STEVE WARE WAS CALLING THE GAME IN THE PRESS BOX WHEN IT HAPPENED. HE SAYS POLICE AND SCHOOL LEADERS RESPONDED QUICKLY AND ARRESTED THE 16 YEAR OLD STUDENT. NOW HE AND THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT WANT TO MAKE SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. WE DEFINITELY ARE IN DIFFERENT TIMES. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT’S WHY WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL AND ANY POSSIBLE CITIES OF SAFETY MEASURES, WHETHER THAT’S LAW ENFORCEMENT COMBINED WITH METAL DETECTORS AND ANY OTHER TYPES OF SAFETY MEASURES THAT ARE OUT THERE. DR. JOHNSON SAYS IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO IMPLEMENT NEW SAFETY MEASURES THAT REQUIRE THE PURCHASE OF NEW EQUIPMENT. MAYOR WARE SAYS THE SCARY SITUATION SHOULD NOT DEFINE HIS HOMETOWN. AS UNFORTUNATE AS IT WAS, IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND I BELIEVE THERE AGAIN, WITH ALL MY HEART, THAT IT’S STILL A A SAY IT WILL BE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO COME WITH THEIR FAMILY AND ENJOY THEIR THEIR HOMETOWN FOOTBALL GAMES. AND I WANT THEM TO FEEL THAT WAY. I WANT THEM TO FEEL SAFE. NOW, DR. GONSOULIN SAYS SOMETHING THEY CAN DO IMMEDIATELY IS SCREEN PEOPLE AS THEY COME INTO THE STADIUM. FOR EXAMPLE, HE SAYS, STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED ARE NOT ALLOWED ON SCHOOL GROUNDS AND THOSE STUDENTS WOULD BE DENIED ACCESS TO THE GAME OR OTHER SCHO

Another Alabama school event also disrupted by violence

We're just one week into the high school football season, and already there are concerns about safety. Scary situations played out at two schools over the weekend. One down on the coast, the other in Hueytown, where a 16-year-old with a gun managed to get into the stadium. Thankfully no one was hurt and authorities arrested the student who brought a gun to the game. In Mobile, as announcers called the Vigor-Blount game on Saturday, you can see a panic in the stands. Then, on the field, players drop to the ground. In this case, it was a fight in a bathroom that caused chaos. No weapon was found at Ladd-Peebles stadium. But it was a 16-year-old with a gun who caused a very similar scene at Hueytown High on Friday night. Hueytown Mayor Steve Ware said, “Everybody was really, really nervous and scared. The football players were all laying down on the field like they had been instructed to do until everything was clear.”Ware was calling the game in the press box when it happened. He says police and school leaders responded quickly and arrested the 16-year-old student. Now, he and Jefferson County School Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin want to make sure it never happens again.Gonsoulin said, “We definitely are in different times. And so, you know, that's why we have to look at all and any possibilities of safety measures, whether that's law enforcement combined with metal detectors and any other types of safety measures that are out there.”Gonsoulin said it'll take some time to implement new safety measures that require the purchase of equipment. Ware said his scary situation should not define his hometown.He said, “As unfortunate as it was, it was an isolated incident. And I believe, there again, with all my heart, that it will still be a safe environment for people to be able to come with their family and enjoy with their hometown football games. And I want them to feel that way, I want them to feel safe.” Gonsoulin said something they can do immediately is screen people as they come into school events. For example, he says students who have been suspended are not allowed on school grounds and those students would be denied entrance to school events.

HUEYTOWN, Ala. —

In Mobile, as announcers called the Vigor-Blount game on Saturday, you can see a panic in the stands. Then, on the field, players drop to the ground. In this case, it was a fight in a bathroom that caused chaos. No weapon was found at Ladd-Peebles stadium. But it was a 16-year-old with a gun who caused a very similar scene at Hueytown High on Friday night.

Hueytown Mayor Steve Ware said, “Everybody was really, really nervous and scared. The football players were all laying down on the field like they had been instructed to do until everything was clear.”

Ware was calling the game in the press box when it happened. He says police and school leaders responded quickly and arrested the 16-year-old student. Now, he and Jefferson County School Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin want to make sure it never happens again.

Gonsoulin said, “We definitely are in different times. And so, you know, that's why we have to look at all and any possibilities of safety measures, whether that's law enforcement combined with metal detectors and any other types of safety measures that are out there.”

Gonsoulin said it'll take some time to implement new safety measures that require the purchase of equipment. Ware said his scary situation should not define his hometown.

He said, “As unfortunate as it was, it was an isolated incident. And I believe, there again, with all my heart, that it will still be a safe environment for people to be able to come with their family and enjoy with their hometown football games. And I want them to feel that way, I want them to feel safe.”

Gonsoulin said something they can do immediately is screen people as they come into school events. For example, he says students who have been suspended are not allowed on school grounds and those students would be denied entrance to school events.

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