Shooting after high school football game leaves 3 teens injured in Pittsburgh
Three people were injured in a shooting near a stadium where a high school football game was played on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, authorities said.
The gunfire happened following an altercation outside George K. Cupples Stadium on the city's South Side, Pittsburgh Public Safety said. Westinghouse High School and University Prep were playing a game at the stadium, but it was over at the time of the shooting, Pittsburgh Public Safety said.
An 18-year-old young man, a 16-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were shot following an altercation. They were taken to local hospitals in stable condition. The three victims are believed to be teenagers, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Chief Jason Lando said. Two of the victims are Pittsburgh Public Schools students, Pittsburgh Public Schools spokesperson Ebony Pugh confirmed on Friday. They did not say what school each student attends.
Multiple officers were outside the stadium trying to break up the fight when the shots rang out, Pittsburgh Public Safety said. Lando said the shooting happened just before 10 p.m. on Thursday, calling the scene "chaotic." He added that officers were inside and outside the stadium for the game.
"We actually had officers within feet of the incident handling another matter at the time," Lando said. "So, plenty of officers at the scene."
Officers are searching for the shooter, though law enforcement did not release a description on Thursday night. Lando said the chaotic nature of the scene made it difficult for officers to track down witnesses. He called the shooting "unfortunate."
In a statement, Pugh said that the district is "deeply concerned" by the incident.
"Our thoughts are with the young people who were injured, their families, and all of the students, staff and community members impacted by this deeply troubling incident," the statement said.
In the wake of the shooting, Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Wayne Walters sent a message to families announcing changes to the attendance policy for Friday night's football games. Those changes include requiring spectators to be 18 or older, additional police and security presence, spectators at Cupples Stadium must remain in the stands and cannot gather in the walkways or corridors, and loitering will not be permitted outside of the stadium.
"Please take time to talk with your children, remind them to stay alert and make safe choices, and encourage them to report anything concerning to a trusted adult or law enforcement," his statement read.
Majic Soukou, a Pittsburgh Perry High School student, is worried about safety.
"I don't feel safe," Soukou told KDKA-TV on Friday. "We can't even come to a high school game, a football game, and we can't leave safely without nobody getting hurt."
The investigation into the triple shooting continues.
"I'm confident that our detectives are going to do their job and hopefully identify the individual," Lando said.
