Search for suspect in football game shooting prompts questions for school system, law enforcement
>> IN NEWS FROM WRAL COVERAGE,
YOU CAN COUNT ON.
>> AND BREAKING RIGHT NOW AT
5.30. WE NOW KNOW MORE ABOUT
THE SHOOTING THAT CAUSED CHAOS
AT A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME,
INJURING 2 TEENAGERS. EDGECOMBE
COUNTY LEADERS INCLUDING THE
SHERIFF SPOKE WITHIN THE LAST
HOUR AND WE NOW KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED AND ALSO ABOUT THE
SEARCH FOR THE 17 YEAR-OLD
SUSPECT WRAL'S HEIDI KIRK HAS
BEEN ON TOP OF THIS STORY ALL
DAY. HEIDI, WHAT HAVE YOU
LEARNED?
WELL, DAN, ALINA, WE ACTUALLY
JUST WALK OUT OF THAT PRESS
CONFERENCE JUST WITHIN THE LAST
15 MINUTES OR SO. AND WHAT WE
KNOW IS THAT THE SHERIFF'S
OFFICE IS STILL SEARCHING FOR
THAT 17 YEAR-OLD.
>> THAT FIRED THAT SHOT UP INTO
THE AIR AT FRIDAY'S GAME.
BUT THEY SAY THERE IS NO THREAT
TO THE COMMUNITY AND THEY
BELIEVE IT WAS A TARGETED
SHOOTING OUT. TAKE A LOOK AT
YOUR SCREEN. THIS IS THAT VIDEO
THAT WE'VE BEEN SHOWING YOU
OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. IT'S
THE AFTERMATH OF AFTER THAT
SHOT RANG OUT. NOW THE SHERIFFS
ARE MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
BEFORE WRAL CREWS CAPTURED THIS
VIDEO.
>> NOW THE SHERIFF SAYS IT WAS
A SMALL ALTERCATION BETWEEN
2 PEOPLE. THE 17 YEAR-OLD DREW
OUT A FIREARM AND SHOT ONE
BULLET HITTING ONE PERSON IN
THE BACK AND GRAZING ANOTHER.
NOW NEITHER PERSON WHO WAS
INVOLVED IN THAT INITIAL.
>> ISSUE WAS AFFILIATED WITH
EITHER TEAM. HE SAID IT HAD
NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FOOTBALL
RIVALRY THAT IF YOU LIVE AROUND
HERE, KNOW, EXISTS. NOW, THE
SHERIFF SAYS THAT THIS PAINTS A
LARGER PICTURE ABOUT THE ISSUE
OF GUN VIOLENCE ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
>> THIS IS A CRY FOR THE
COMMUNITY. THIS IS A CROSSWALK.
FAITH-BASED COMMUNITIES OF KWAI
FOR PARENTS TO BE PARENTS IS A
WAR CRIME THAT WE NEED HELP.
WE NEED HELP BECAUSE SOME OF
THESE CHILDREN ARE LOOKING FOR
DIRECTION. AND THEY'RE NOT
>> AND AN LEAD EARLIER TODAY,
WE ACTUALLY SAT DOWN WITH THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF EDGECOMBE
COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE
BIGGEST QUESTION THAT HE HAS
ON HIS MIND TONIGHT IS HOW DID
THAT PERSON ENTER THE STADIUM
WITH THAT GUN? OF COURSE
THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER
SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE
DISTRICT TO HASH THAT OUT AND
GO THROUGH SOME OF THE SECURITY
PROTOCOLS THAT ARE IN PLACE
NOW. THEY DO TELL US THAT EVERY
SINGLE PERSON TO ENTER THE
STADIUM THAT NIGHT WALK THROUGH
EITHER A METAL DETECTOR OR A
WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEM.
SO THEY'RE WORKING TO FIGURE
OUT EXACTLY WHAT WENT WRONG
THERE. TAKE A LISTEN TO PART
OF OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE
SUPERINTENDENT.
>> DESPITE OUR VERY BEST
EFFORTS WITH WEAPONS DETECTION
SYSTEMS,
METAL DETECTORS, A NUMBER OF
DEPUTIES THERE WITH
ADMINISTRATOR ISN'T VERY
SUPPORT STAFF. SOMETHING STILL
GOT INTO THE STADIUM. WE WORK
WITH SHERIFF DEPARTMENT TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE REVIEW ALL THOSE
PLANS AND ALL THE EFFORTS THAT
WE HAD IN PLACE ALREADY TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE CAN COME BACK WITH
RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL MAKE
A DIFFERENCE AND MAKE MAKE THE
IMPACT. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE
THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
>> NOW WE'RE TOLD BY BOTH THE
SUPERINTENDENT AND THE SHERIFF
THAT THEY MET THIS AFTERNOON
ALREADY TALKING ABOUT SOME OF
THE WAYS THEY CAN IMPROVE SOME
OF THOSE SECURITY PROTOCOLS AT
THE SCHOOL. THEY SAY WE
DISCUSSED THINGS LIKE CLEAR BAG
POLICIES, IMPROVING LIGHTING,
RAMPING UP THE NUMBER OF
DEPUTIES THAT THEY HAVE AT THE
SCHOOL. THEN SOMETHING THAT
STUCK WITH ME IS THAT THE
SHERIFF SAID THAT THEY JUST HAD
A REALLY LARGE VOLUME OF PEOPLE
AT THAT GAME AND THEY DIDN'T
REALIZE THEY NEED MAY NEED TO
RAMP UP SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS.
OF COURSE, THIS IS A STORY THAT
WILL CONTINUE TO STAY ON TOP OF