TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Police in Ohio said three people were wounded in a shooting outside a high school football game that sent people on the field and spectators in the stands running for cover.
What You Need To Know
- Police say three people were wounded at a high school football game in West Toledo
- The three people wounded are reportedly expected to recover
- No suspects are in custody, according to a statement from Toledo Police
Police said the shots were fired behind the Whitmer High School stadium in West Toledo at about 9:30 p.m. Friday during the game with Central Catholic High School. A Whitmer student and two adults were wounded, said Washington Local Schools spokesperson Katie Peters, who called it “an act of violence.”
Two victims were taken to ProMedica Toledo Hospital and the third to Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center, the Toledo Blade reported. An update on their conditions wasn’t immediately available.
Toledo Police released a statement on Saturday saying that no suspects were in custody. An earlier WTOL-TV report said that two suspects were in custody.
“Last night was a terrible and traumatic event. Thankfully what can be said about what happened at the Whitmer/Central Catholic football game is this: all 3 victims sustained only minor injuries, and they will all be OK,” read a joint statement from Toledo Police Chief George Kral, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and Washington Local School Superintendent Dr. Kadee Anstadt.
The statement also said surveillance video from the game has been helpful in identifying a potential target and that 16 law enforcement professionals were working the game.
Dispatchers told responding police that witnesses reported two people in black ski masks firing shots and a vehicle then speeding away, the Toledo Blade reported. Play was halted with less than seven minutes remaining as police and fire crews converged on the stadium, the newspaper reported.
“No guests were injured in the evacuation and we could not be prouder of our students, staff, Whitmer fans, and our guests from Central Catholic,” Peters said. The school district’s security and screening measures were used during the event, Peters said.
Lisa Gonzalez told the Toledo Blade that she was in the restroom when she heard one shot and she emerged to chaos outside.
“Everyone was screaming, ‘They’re shooting, they’re shooting,’ and we just ran,” she said.
Kevin Parkins, Central Catholic High School’s head of school, said junior varsity and freshman football games scheduled for Saturday have been canceled. He said in a video statement Friday night the Central Catholic student body will gather on Tuesday to “talk to them, support them, but also pray.”
“This is an opportunity too, as parents, guardians, for you to also engage your child in a conversation,” Parkins said, WTOL-TV reported. “We have to continue to fight each and every day to make sure that our world, our country, our state, and our community here in Northwest Ohio understands how valuable life is,” he said.
