Police arrested five men in connection with a shooting during the third quarter of a playoff football game in New Jersey on Friday night that left one adult and two minors injured.
The adult, a 27-year-old man, is in stable condition and will need surgery, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said. A 10-year-old is in critical condition, and a 15-year-old boy was released from the hospital after he was treated for a graze wound.
Footage from the incident showed panicked spectators running from the bleachers and knocking over a fence as they tried to escape the premises. Players also ran from the field for safety.
The shooting happened during a game between high schools from Camden and Pleasantville.
“Unlike some of the shootings that have occurred on school premises throughout the country, this incident had nothing to do with the students of Pleasantville High School or Camden High School. The venue simply presented an opportunity for criminals to pursue their own form of petty vengeance against one another,” Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner said in a statement Saturday, according to WPVI-TV.
“As a result, an innocent child was caught and injured in their crossfire. Our community will not be held hostage by a few idiots intent on jeopardizing our safety and the safety of our children,” he continued.
Alvin Wyatt, 31, of Atlantic City was charged with three counts of attempted murder and weapons charges, Tyner said. Four other men were also charged. Michael Mack, 27, Tyrell Dorn, 28, Shahid Dixon, 27, all of Atlantic City, and Vance Golden, 26, of Pleasantville were charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.
Some of the players told KYW-TV they initially thought the gunshots were fireworks.
“We just saw everybody from the crowd running,” said Keon Henry, a senior who plays football at Pleasantville. “Coach was telling us get down, but we didn’t want to get down. We wanted to get somewhere safe inside the school, so we all ran up here, ran through the fence and then went through here.”
