Police said that a gunman remained at large after a shooting at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, high school homecoming game on Friday night that left one teen dead and another person injured.
The shooting occurred at McLain High School of Science and Technology just before 10 p.m. According to McLain's website, the school's football team was playing Miami High School, a fellow Oklahoma team. McLain High School is located at 4929 N. Peoria Ave, and Tulsa Police asked people to avoid the area while the investigation was being conducted, according to News on 6.
Tragedy struck the homecoming game as one 17-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene following the shooting. Police said that another 17-year-old was taken to a local hospital early Saturday morning. The teen was initially in critical condition but improved to a stable condition. It is still unknown if the teen victims were students at either school.
Police still searching for suspect in Tulsa shooting
The department said in a statement that police searched for a suspect in the shooting on Friday night to no avail. Cops said that dozens of officers converged in the area assisting with crowd control and looking for the suspect. They added that their K-9 Unit and several officers scoured the nearby neighborhoods as they believed the suspect had taken off on foot. Unfortunately, the trail went cold for them.
According to the police, the suspect was an armed and dangerous 17-year-old male. The Tulsa Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the case. NBC News reported that the shooting began at the end of the game, as players from the opposing high school football teams were shaking hands.
Miami Public Schools Superintendent Nick Highsmith stated following the shooting that what occurred was horrific for all who were present. He added that he was still struggling to process everything he witnessed and the tragedy that occurred.
Four homicides recorded in Tulsa on Friday night
Highsmith also vowed that as long as he is Superintendent of Schools, Miami will not travel to Tulsa McLain again to participate in any school activity there. He stated that he could not allow their players, students, staff, and family members to return to a place where they have repeatedly been in danger.
Captain Richard Meulenberg said in a Tulsa Police Department briefing following the shooting that this was just one of four homicides in the city of Tulsa on Friday alone. He also confirmed that they have surveillance camera footage of the shooting that transpired, according to ABC News. However, authorities were unsure if either of the victims was a student at McLain High School.
Tulsa Police Department said that homicide detectives are actively working on this case, and they hope that of the hundreds of people present there, some will come forward and help with this investigation.
