A student was shot outside a spring football game between two different schools on Friday, according to Action News Jax.
The 16-year-old victim, a Raines High School (Jacksonville, Fla.) student, was initially in critical condition before being upgraded to stable, according to News 4 Jax.
The shooting occurred at Terry Parker High School (Jacksonville, Fla.) minutes before the end of the football game against Ribault High School (Jacksonville, Fla.), according to Action News Jax.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is speculating it might have been a gang-related shooting, though the victim’s family said he is not in a gang, according to Action News Jackson.
Several men approached the teenage victim outside the football game, Action News Jax reported. It is believed the group had targeted the victim and it was not a random shooting.
A mother at the football game told News4Jax over the phone that she heard “one loud gunshot” and “everyone took off running in different directions.
There were between 1,000 to 1,500 attendants at the game, the outlet reported.
“The general area where it happened is where most people were running,” the mother said to News4Jax. “Others were running down stands, trying to grab little ones. It was craziness.”
Terry Parker Principal Megan Pardue released a statement to Action News Jax.
“I want to make sure that what happened tonight doesn’t impact the culture at my school,” she said. “We are Terry Parker, home of the Braves, and I have students every day wearing Terry Parker shirts throughout the community, throughout the school year — proud to be a Brave. And I just don’t want that to change.”
