NORTH COLLEGE HILL, Ohio — Officials say no one inside or outside the high school stadium was shot or grazed by gunfire Friday night.
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The football game between North College Hill High School and Woodward High School stopped with a few minutes left in the first half after shots were fired near the stadium, our news partners at WCPO-9 TV reported.
“The police department has confirmed and concluded that the gunshots were not in the direction of the stadium and the location of the gunshots were several hundred yards away. This unfortunate event was an isolated event that had nothing to do with North College Hill City Schools and/or Woodward,” North College Gill Police Department and North College High City School District said in a joint statement.
This comes after a spokesperson with Cincinnati Public Schools previously said a Woodward student-athlete was injured in the shooting.
Information on how that student-athlete was injured was not immediately available.
This is the second time this month a North College Hill football game has ended abruptly due to a shooting incident in the area, WCPO-9 TV reported.
“Again, we have outside forces that have nothing to do with North College Hill City School District ... creating a horrible situation, so I am saddened,” North College Hill Superintendent Eugene Blalock said following Friday’s shooting.
This was the first game played at North College Hill since shots fired in the area ended their Sept .6 game against Cincinnati Country Day.
Police said someone fired 10 shots near an apartment complex across the street from the stadium. No one was injured in the Sept. 6 incident.
The next two games were either canceled because the opposing team refused to travel to the area or rescheduled to a different date or time.
Blalock said Friday’s crowd was “huge,” as the community came together to support their student-athletes and “show them that they’re worthy, that we believe in them.”
“And to have this happen again, second football game ... in a row in the community, we have to do a better job,” Blalock said.
Blalock said he believes this is “bigger than athletics”.
“Our students were playing their hearts out, they were winning the game, but now who’s gonna think about football?” Blalock said. “So now you have kids who are traumatized, and this is ongoing trauma. If I were a parent, to be perfectly honest, I don’t know if I would allow my child to come to another game.”
Blalock confirmed that Friday’s game will be the last game played on that field this year.
“I will not put somebody else’s life in jeopardy and I would hate to have another school feel like they’re doing something wrong by trying to keep their kids safe,” Blalock said.
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