Five men have been arrested, one on charges of attempted murder, in connection with the shooting of three people Friday night at a playoff football game between Camden and Pleasantville high schools in New Jersey.
Alvin Wyatt, 31, of Atlantic City is charged with three counts of attempted murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.
The other four arrested have been identified as Michael Mack, 27, Tyrell Dorn, 28, Shahid Dixon, 27, all of Atlantic City, and Vance Golden, 26, of Pleasantville. Prosecutors say those four were at the game at the Pleasantville High School Athletic Complex and fled from police in a vehicle after the shootings. One of the men threw a gun out of that vehicle as it neared Atlantic City, authorities said. They have been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and certain persons not to posses a weapon.
The victims include a 10-year-old boy, who is in critical condition at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, according to a statement issued Saturday by Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner. Witnesses have said he was shot in the neck.
A 27-year-old man is in stable condition and expected to undergo surgery at Atlanticare Regional Medical. A 15-year-old male was treated for a graze wound, the statement said.
Saturday morning, discarded rubber gloves set under blood-soaked bleachers served as a grim reminder of the previous night's violence. Police have scheduled a news conference for 1 p.m. at the field.
"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," Tyner said. "The venue simply presented an opportunity for criminals to pursue their own form of petty vengeance against one another. 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."
The football game was in the third quarter when gunfire erupted in the bleachers shortly before 8:30 p.m.
In a video posted on Twitter by Jersey Sports Zone, an outlet that covers high school sports, the players can be seen waiting for the punt to roll to a stop when six shots are heard. The camera points to the ground for a few seconds and then back up to show people in the stands scattering in a panic. None of the players or referees was hurt.
Camden coach Dwayne Savage said Saturday that he is still processing the premature and abrupt ending to his team's playoff game.
He replayed the sights and sounds of the scene: hearing the gunshots, spotting smoke, and watching his carefully crafted game plan erased in chaos.
"We tried to get the kids down on the ground. All of them were running in all different directions," he said. "All the coaches and parents went to different areas to try to round them up, get them in the locker room and then get out of there.
"I'm just glad we were able to get all the players back with their moms and dads," he added. "That's how I'm looking at it."
Onlookers react to the shooting during a playoff game between Camden High and Pleasantville High School in Pleasantville, NJ.
In regards to resuming the game, Savage said he hopes the team can "get the emotion back."
"It's tough to go through what they went through and then try to come back and play," he added. "I felt like we were playing pretty well. We had the momentum. We had partially blocked the punt that happened right before the shooting started."
Larry White, executive director of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, said five officials are calling and texting school and law enforcement personnel to try and determine where, when, and if the game would resume at the point of interruption.
"(We're) trying to figure this out and how do we move forward from this tragedy," he said.
Camden Athletic Director Mark Phillips wrote a short note of appreciation on his personal Facebook page.
"Just want to say how proud I am of our coaches, security staff, parents," he said. "I will never forget how selfless everyone was for our kids."
In a statement, Gov. Phil Murphy said a high school playoff football game "should be a cause for community celebration, not the backdrop for panic and terror."
"I am grateful for the lifesaving swift actions of first responders to tend to the wounded, and our prayers are with the victims for a swift and full recovery," Murphy said. "I am receiving updates from law enforcement as officers continue the investigation into this despicable and cowardly attack, and we support their efforts. Last night was a stark reminder that no community is immune from gun violence, and that we must not ever give up in our efforts to prevent such senseless acts."
