Atlanta police officer shoots armed teen after fight breaks out at school football game
Atlanta GA Aug 20 2019
A 12-year-old and a 16-year-old were both shot after a fight broke out near a high school football stadium Saturday night, police said.
A game was happening between George Washington Carver High School and Benjamin E. Mays High School at Lakewood Stadium on Claire Drive, Atlanta police told Channel 2 Action News.
Outside the stadium, a fight broke out. Then, someone fired shots, police said. The 12-year-old was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital by ambulance, police said. He was in critical condition, but is now stable, police said.
The 16-year-old was taken to the hospital in a private car, officials said. He was treated for his injuries and discharged from the hospital. The victims have not been identified.
It is not clear who fired the shots. The football game between the two high school teams was the first game of the regular season.
It came just five years after a fight led to shots fired at another football game between the same schools at the same stadium.
Hundreds of people were at the Mays vs. Carver game Oct. 24, 2014, when gunshots rang out, AJC.com previously reported.
An off-duty police officer who heard the shots found a 17-year-old boy with a gun. As the situation escalated, the officer shot the teen in the arm.
The teen later identified as Mays High School student Eugene Brantley was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.
He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, obstruction, reckless conduct and carrying a weapon on school property.
Police believe that other students may have also been involved in the altercation.
Three guns were found at the scene.
The incident — and several others that had taken place during high school football games — spurred APS to tighten security during game time. Fans were screened with metal-detecting wands and additional uniformed police officers were present at games.
“I know there’s a lot of work to do but it is essential that every community and every cluster has the confidence that when they come to an event for Atlanta Public Schools … that they can enjoy themselves without being in fear,” Superintendent Meria Carstarphen said in the wake of the shootings. Atlanta Public Schools told AJC.com it is referring all questions about the most recent shooting to Atlanta police.
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