(CNN)Gunfire broke out after a high school football game in Alabama late Friday, leaving 10 teens injured, half of them critically.
The victims in the shooting in Mobile ranged in age from 15 to 18, police said. They were at Ladd-Peebles Stadium for the game between LeFlore and Williamson high schools when shots rang out, Mobile Police Chief Lawrence Battiste told reporters.
Of the nine people shot, three remained hospitalized Saturday afternoon, Battiste said at a news conference. Injuries to the 10th teenager were not known..
Midland (Mich.) High School will stage an emergency preparedness evacuation drill at Midland Community Stadium immediately after the Chemics’ season-opening football game Aug. 29 against Traverse City West.
After the traditional postgame handshakes between the two teams, an eight-minute countdown will be placed on the stadium scoreboard, with the goal of having everyone in the stadium evacuated within that time, according to a report in the Midland Daily News.
Event staff will direct spectators to exits, the two teams will evacuate to their respective locker rooms, and the Midland High School band will immediately exit the stadium to the school building.
Midland High athletics director Eric Albright is hopeful that the drill won’t significantly alter typical postgame routines for the fans.
“Maybe it’s customary for families to gather on the field with players after the game — that’s not going to happen,” Albright said. “We understand that’s going to break tradition, but for one game, it’s worth it.”
The unpredictability of what can happen at sporting events was a primary reason for the stadium drill. The MHS gym was evacuated during a volleyball match last fall due to a tornado warning.
In addition to advance publicity, the teams, officials and spectators at the stadium will be reminded about the impending drill before and during the game — through signs at the gate, programs and the public address system.
Albright said that the Midland Police Department might assist event staff with the drill, but that has not yet been determined.
The first game of the football season was chosen for this drill for a few reasons: the first game generally has a smaller crowd and draws fewer media members than games later in the season, the band will not be marching and will not be in full uniform, and any lessons learned from this drill can be implemented later in the season if necessary. A debriefing scheduled for the week after the game will help everyone involved evaluate the drill and determine what needs to be improved.
“We’re being proactive,” said Albright, who attended a session about emergency action plans at a national athletics directors conference last year. ”We’re there to keep our kids and spectators safe.”
taco-eating contest, according to the Fresno Bee.” data-reactid=”15″>A Fresno man has died after collapsing at a Fresno Grizzlies game while competing in a taco-eating contest, according to the Fresno Bee.
choking on his food during the contest, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, where he died on arrival. Fans at the game said medical technicians attempted the Heimlich maneuver and gave Hutchings CPR before paramedics arrived.” data-reactid=”16″>Dana Hutchings, 41, reportedly collapsed while participating in the event. Officials say the man began choking on his food during the contest, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, where he died on arrival. Fans at the game said medical technicians attempted the Heimlich maneuver and gave Hutchings CPR before paramedics arrived.
The hospital has not determined Hutchings’ cause of death yet. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday, according to the Fresno Bee.
The Grizzlies extended their “heartfelt prayers and condolences” to Hutchings in a statement.
“We are devastated to learn that the fan that received medical attention following an event at Tuesday evening’s game has passed away. The Fresno Grizzlies extend our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the family of Mr. Hutchings. The safety and security of our fans is our highest priority. We will work closely with local authorities and provide any helpful information that is requested.”
The Grizzlies — a minor-league affiliate of the Washington Nationals — introduced alternate Fresno Tacos jerseys a few years ago. The team wears the Tacos jerseys during every Tuesday home game.
Hutchings was participating in the taco-eating contest in anticipation of Fresno’s annual “Taco Truck Throwdown” event, which is scheduled to take place Saturday. The Grizzlies told Deadspin the event will continue as planned.
Everton has revealed plans to include rail seating at its proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in preparation for safe standing if legislation changes in the future.
According to the Liverpool Echo newspaper, club officials presented plans to include rail seating in the South and North stands of the stadium from when it opens. Away supporters, who often opt to stand, would use one of the sections.
The Premier League club will unveil more details about the proposed stadium during the second stage of public consultation, which begins on July 26.
Everton has already revealed that it is targeting a capacity of 52,000 for its proposed new stadium, with the potential for it to rise to 62,000 in the future.
Everton said it means to ensure the stadium can be adapted to introduce safe standing should government legislation on all-seater stadia change.
Standing has been outlawed in the top two leagues of English football since the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans.
The UK government last year commissioned an official review into safe standing, with the Sports Ground Safety Authority’s (SGSA), the body responsible for stadium safety, allowing rail seating to be installed.
The SGSA Green Guide document, used by all stadium managers, referred to ‘seats incorporating barriers’, which could be installed and still meet the government’s all-seater policy, as long as certain strict conditions were met.
Rail seating means that each ticket holder has a designated seat, which can be locked upright allowing fans to stand up, with each row having its own safety barrier.
Last month, Wolverhampton Wanderers announced that it will install a new barrier seating solution at Molineux. The West Midlands stadium became one of the first grounds in the Premier League to pilot the seating options.
Celtic Park installed a safe standing section in 2016 for up to 3,000 fans after Scotland relaxed its stadia requirements. German Bundesliga clubs Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg have successfully implemented rail seating.
After a petition reached 112,000 signatures for the UK government to change its policy on safe standing, a Commons debate led to the government commissioning an external review.
The report on the review to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said that it still believed “all-seater stadia were the best current means to ensure the safety and security of fans.
“However, the DCMS would consider relevant advances in technology and data.”
The Sox and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority are planning to extend the protective netting at Guaranteed Rate Field down the lines to the foul poles.
The White Sox on Tuesday announced plans to extend the protective netting at Guaranteed Rate Field down the lines to the foul poles as soon as possible.
As first reported by the Sun-Times, the Sox said specific details will be announced later but indicated the changes will be made this summer. The Sox will be the first of the 30 major-league teams to extend the netting to the corners of the outfield.
To protect fans from foul balls, every team extended the netting to the end of each dugout before the 2018 season. Going beyond that, however, was left up to each franchise. The Tigers have extended the netting about halfway between the dugouts and foul poles at Comerica Park in Detroit.
Calls for more fan safety increased after a 4-year-old girl was struck by a foul ball off the bat of Cubs outfielder Albert Almora on May 29 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. A woman was bloodied and taken to a hospital after being hit by a foul ball off the bat of Sox rookie Eloy Jimenez on June 10 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
‘‘It keeps people safe; it’s a smart move,’’ Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito said. ‘‘I hate seeing young kids get hit and having to go to the hospital.’’
Players have been calling for more netting for years.
‘‘In today’s day and age, you have a lot of young fans, and guys are hitting the ball harder,’’ Giolito said. ‘‘I see counterarguments like, ‘Don’t sit there,’ or, ‘Just pay attention to the game.’
‘‘Dude, no matter how much you’re paying attention to the game, if that thing’s coming in 115 miles an hour with tail, no matter if you have a glove this big, it could hit you right in the forehead.’’
Said Jimenez: ‘‘When I hit the woman, I was . . . super-sad because I knew I hit it hard and it was straight in the face. That doesn’t feel good. That’s why [extending the netting is] going to be good.’’
HOUSTON — Should Major League Baseball be looking at expanding protective netting from foul pole to foul pole in all major league ballparks? That’s the question many were asking when a 2-year-old girl was injured by a foul ball during a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Houston Astros on May 29.
The 2-year-old girl was sitting on a relatives lap in section 111 during the game when she was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr.
It’s estimated that the ball was traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour when it struck the child in the head. Almora, who followed the path of the ball, was immediately overcome with grief and was consoled by teammates and umpires.
On Wednesday, family members speaking through their attorney Richard Mithoff revealed the extent of the child’s injuries, which included a fractured skull, subdural bleeding, seizures, and a brain contusion.
A day after the incident, an article in USA Today spotlighted the need for expanding safety netting at baseball parks to help keep fans safe. However, it’s not clear when Major League Baseball intends to study expanding protective netting in the name of fan safety.
Two days after the child was injured MBL Commissioner Rob Manfred told the Washington Post that changes could be difficult in some stadiums during the season.
“Look, I think it is important that we continue to focus on fan safety,” Manfred said. “If that means that the netting has to go beyond the dugouts, so be it.”
There are have been a number of injuries, and even deaths caused by foul balls in major league parks over the last decade.
Dodger Stadium: A woman was rushed to the hospital on June 23 after she was hit in the head by a foul ball. The Dodgers say the plan to extend their protective netting.
Marlins Park: An elderly woman was struck by a foul ball in September 2015 and was slightly injured.
Wrigley Field: A man was hit in the face with a foul ball during a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates in August 2017, and suffered a broken nose and jaw, and he lost sight in his right eye.
Guaranteed Field: A woman is hit in the head by a foul ball during a White Sox game in June 2019.
Before the start of the 2018 season, all 30 MLB clubs expanded their safety netting in their ballparks, but only around home plate, and not foul pole to foul pole as was suggested in 2007 and 2012 by the Major League Baseball Players Association.
The family of the little girl has not filed a lawsuit against the Houston Astros, but Mithoff said is hoping this sends a message to the Astros front office.
“I know Jim Crane well enough to know that he is a very responsible owner, and I think Jim will do the right thing,” Mithoff told KTRK.
(CNN)After four people were injured Monday in a shooting during the Toronto Raptors’ NBA Championship celebration, Canadian officials urged the public to not let it undermine a mostly peaceful commemoration of a historic win.
“I hope all those injured in today’s shooting have a speedy recovery and I’d like to thank the Toronto Police for acting so quickly,” Prime Minister Trudeau said on Twitter.
“We won’t let this act of violence take away from the spirit of today’s parade.”
The Toronto Raptors celebrate their first NBA championship with fans Monday.
Trudeau was present for the victory rally in downtown Toronto, where huge crowds had gathered to celebrate the Raptors’ victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA finals.
Four people suffered “non-life threatening” injuries in a shooting near the rally in Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said. Three people were arrested in two separate incidents connected to the shooting, he said.
Saunders insisted that the incident affected a small group of people during an otherwise jubilant celebration. More than a million people attended the victory rally and “the vast majority didn’t even know this happened,” he said.
Images on social media showed people running from the scene. Saunders said he could not speak to reports that people were trampled, but he resisted the suggestion that a stampede broke out after shots were fired.
A “small burst of people” were scared, he said.
The shooting brought negative attention to a historic celebration. The Raptors’ victory marked not only its first NBA title, but its first time reaching the NBA Finals in its 24-season history.
The celebration began Monday afternoon with a parade featuring open-air double-decker buses carrying the team before arriving at Nathan Phillips Square.
Revelers filled the square to capacity for the rally, which included an appearance from Trudeau.
Fans gather at Nathan Phillips Square for the Toronto Raptors’ NBA Championship Victory Parade.
The master of ceremonies paused briefly to let the crowd know there was an emergency situation, then resumed the festivities.
“It is disappointing and I’m sure a source of anger for more than just me that anyone would carry a gun and discharge it at what was otherwise a joyous celebration,” Mayor John Tory said.
“I hope those responsible will be held to account to the full extent that the law permits,” he said. “I want to commend and thank the millions of other people who happily and peacefully celebrated our beloved Toronto Raptors.”
During the rally, Tory presented the Key to the City today to the team.
First responders attend to an injured person after shots were fired during the Toronto Raptors NBA championship victory celebration/
He also announced that a stretch of road outside the Scotiabank Arena will receive a ceremonial street dedication as Raptors Way.
“We are so proud of our Toronto Raptors and their championship win. Presenting the entire organization with the City’s highest honor is our way of saying thank you on behalf of all Toronto residents,” he said in a statement.
“This historic playoff run galvanized and united not only Toronto, but all of Canada, bringing together fans from coast to coast to coast. The victory itself and the events surrounding it will inspire Torontonians, especially young people, for years to come.”
Stadiums Queensland has been accused of breaching the privacy of spectators at its venues after admitting to covertly trialing facial recognition technology and sharing information with the police.
Stadiums Queensland, whose venues include The Gabba and the Suncorp Stadium, said patrons are made aware that CCTV cameras are operated at its properties, and explained why the trials were taking place.
“At this time, such software is only being used to identify patterns and anomalies in crowd behaviour, such as abandoned bags and long queues,” a spokesperson for Stadiums Queensland told ABC News.
“As indicated in the terms of entry, ticketholders agree to being filmed by CCTV for the purpose of venue security and public safety upon entry to SQ venues.”
However, some claim that those visiting the venues should be made aware that technology is being utilised which can identify them and share their details with the authorities.
“It’s certainly something for any large-scale technology implementation like that, that we recommend,” Phil Green, Queensland Privacy Commissioner, told ABC News.
“It’s simply good practice to identify risks of conducting this sort of surveillance and using facial recognition – those risks are being identified worldwide at the moment.
“It’s been demonstrated that bias can creep in, depending on what databases you’re using and who’s in the database, and the algorithms themselves.”
Stadiums Queensland is charged with the management of major sports facilities that are declared under Queensland Government regulation as being venues having the capacity to stage national or international sports events, recreational or entertainment experiences.
As well as The Gabba, one of the world’s most famous cricket grounds, and the Brisbane Broncos’ Suncorp Stadium, Stadiums Queensland also oversees Queensland Tennis Centre, Brisbane Entertainment Centre and Metricon Stadium.
A woman is pleading for justice after her husband, a father of four, was critically injured in a fight outside Dodger Stadium Friday night.
The man, identified by his wife as Rafael Reyna, was at the game against the Diamondbacks — just the second of the season — when he left as it went into extra innings. Reyna apparently got into an argument with someone in the parking lot and was struck by the fan, according to eyewitnesses who reported the incident to stadium security.
His wife, Christel, was on the phone with her husband at the time and said all she heard was him arguing with someone, a loud crack and then her husband moaning.
“He was hit and his head hit the ground and caused a skull fracture, and now his brain is swelling. He’s bleeding on the brain,” Christel Reyna told Los Angeles ABC station KABC.
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A woman is pleading for justice after her husband, a father of four, was critically injured in a fight outside Dodger Stadium Friday night.
The man, identified by his wife as Rafael Reyna, was at the game against the Diamondbacks — just the second of the season — when he left as it went into extra innings. Reyna apparently got into an argument with someone in the parking lot and was struck by the fan, according to eyewitnesses who reported the incident to stadium security.
His wife, Christel, was on the phone with her husband at the time and said all she heard was him arguing with someone, a loud crack and then her husband moaning.
“He was hit and his head hit the ground and caused a skull fracture, and now his brain is swelling. He’s bleeding on the brain,” Christel Reyna told Los Angeles ABC station KABC.
(KABC) Christel Reyna’s husband, Rafael, was attacked and critically injured outside Dodger Stadium on Friday, March 29, 2019.
Rafael Reyna is currently on life support at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, his wife said.
The two have four kids, including an adult son who is 22, and three others between the ages of 11 and 15.
Police said they believe the suspect was in his 20s and drove off in a white SUV.
“It hurts my heart,” an emotional Christel Reyna said. “This isn’t supposed to happen. This isn’t how you’re supposed to live your life.”
The team said in a statement Saturday it was aware of the incident and cooperating with police.
“Last night, an altercation occurred suddenly between two men who were leaving the stadium,” the Dodgers said. “One of the men was injured as a result of the altercation. A witness immediately reported the incident to stadium personnel, and emergency medical technicians were promptly dispatched to provide medical assistance at the scene. The matter is now being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Dodgers are cooperating fully with the investigation.”
(AP) Fans cheer from the top of Dodger Stadium during Game 4 of the World Series baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, in Los Angeles.
Just a day before the fight, on Opening Day, the Los Angeles Police Department had released a warning about safety at the park.
“In addition to parking enforcement, LAPD officers will be patrolling the area to enforce the no tolerance policy for drinking in public or in the parks,” the department said. “Dodger fans are also reminded that there is no tailgating in the parking lots of Dodger Stadium.”
It continued, “Everyone in attendance on opening day deserves a safe and fun-filled day of baseball, so please respect the neighborhood and stay safe.”
The Dodgers stepped up security outside Dodger Stadium following a much-publicized fight on Opening Day in 2011. Bryan Stow, an off-duty paramedic and San Francisco Giants fan, was attacked by several men in Dodgers jerseys. Stow, who was placed in a medically induced coma after the attack, hit his head on the pavement and was repeatedly punched and kicked, according to authorities.
Two men involved in that attack pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison in 2014.
TULSA, Okla. – A crowd of angry concertgoers tried to storm Tulsa’s BOK Center after it announced the cancellation of the Travis Scott concert Monday night just hours before it was scheduled to start.
Arena officials said that “technical productions issues” caused the show to be rescheduled to March 26.
The cancellation enraged fans who had already gathered outside the arena. Some members of the crowd threw objects, including a security barrier. Others attempted to rush the front doors of the arena.
Tulsa police said pepper balls and pepper spray was used to help disperse the crowd.
According to reports, the angry mob smashed one of the glass doors at the arena’s entrance.
Scott tweeted an apology at 7:30 p.m. for moving the show. He told fans he didn’t want to give them an “incomplete show.”
