Friday’s Oklahoma HS Football Game Shooting wasn’t a First for Del City
Last Friday, Oklahoma was abuzz with excitement as high school football returned all across the state. Some schools started a week earlier, but every high school should be on the hunt for a championship now.
As the night transpired, several expected things happened. Carl Albert in Midwest City, Bixby, and Tulsa Union are off to their usual strong starts, but the headlines throughout the entire weekend focused entirely on the Choctaw-Del City game where a shooting incident occurred.
@crysrocks2 I hope everyone is safe. I had just left 5 minutes prior to this happening. #shooting #highschoolfootball #choctawoklahoma #news9 #fyp #fridaynight #august25 ♬ original sound - Crys
During the third quarter, shots rang out from the Del City side of the field. It was reported that two people were having an argument over something, and one thing led to another. At least three people were shot, of whom a sixteen-year-old died. This isn't the first shooting to take place surrounding a Del City Eagles football game.
@shugkizzia #oklahomashooting #choctawoklahoma #highschoolfootball #football #sports #fyp ♬ original sound - AirForceWife
In 2010, I was working in OKC and happened to be overseeing the newbies learning to become sports broadcasters. I don't remember who the opponent was, but we were covering a Del City Eagles game that Friday night.
As the game ended, I waited back at the studio for our new staff to return the equipment. As they put things away, 29th Street was alive with fans getting into the weekend spirit. Cruising the streets with pride, grabbing a bite to eat after the game, when we started hearing gunshots.
Apparently, a small scuffle started between rival fanbases across the street inside the McDonald's. Dozens and dozens of people poured out of the fast foodery in fear. The police showed up within moments and locked the whole block down, including our parking lot.
While we waited for an opportunity to leave, we chatted with some of the officers about what happened. He just said "Del City High School man..." as if it was a common thing in 2010. There wasn't a peep in the news about that incident at all.
It's not just Del City.
While this is just another incident like this on the books for Del City, they weren't alone in the high school football gunplay so far this season. It has happened in several towns across America.
Tulsa
@oklahomahighschoolsports The incident that happened last night in Tulsa that suspended the rest of a amazing game bentonville west out of Arkansas and booker T Washington. A teen had a gun on him causing a panic towards the end of the game. Luckily no shots were fired. ##oklahoma##oklahomacheck##oklahomies##footballtiktok##highschoolfootball##highschoolsports##football##fyp##news##oklahomanews##fox23news ♬ original sound - VYPE Oklahoma
Georgia
@christ7nn Westlake vs Creekside Aftergame #fyp ♬ original sound - 68grp
Virginia
@keemykeems kickoff game #virginiabeach #757 #kempsville #footballgame ♬ original sound - keemy
California
@davidgarcia9286 Etiwanda HS was on lock down tonight Friday 8/18. There was a fight that supposedly escalated into a shooting before it was all said and done. #etiwandahighschool ♬ original sound - David Garcia
Another game in Georgia
@sidepiece_keith ♂️ at the high school football game Georgia we got to do better #spk ♬ original sound - sidepiece_keith
The hope is dwindling for the next generation, and there's no easy solve to the problem. Looks like 2023 is going to be a wild one.
