Oklahoma schools address football security concerns following shootings at games
August 30, 2023 / Athletic Administration • Football
In the aftermath of three separate shootings around football games in the Oklahoma area, the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Athletics Association (OSSAA) is trying of different strategies to keep everyone safe.
A 16-year-old boy died during a game in Choctaw last Friday night. A gun was flashed by a student during a Friday night game at Booker T. Washington High School, causing panic in the crowd and the game to abruptly end. A third incident involving a gun happened on Saturday a Locust Grove Public Schools student was arrested for possessing a firearm.
A recent story from KJRH.com detailed the concerns the Oklahoma communities have surrounding heightened security in the wake of these shootings during football games.
Below is an excerpt from the KJRH.com story.
TPS Monday offered a rundown of district safety measures implemented this school year, including a clear bag policy and instructions to report any suspicious activity to their 24-hour safety hotline.
Tulsa Public Schools develops our safety procedures for athletics events through close collaboration with experts and suggested best practices implemented by the NCAA.
- We have added safety procedures and technology for the 2023-24 school year.
- The clear bag policy was implemented as of August 1st.
- The weapons detection systems are also new this year.
- Additional security measures will be in place for upcoming games.
- We ask that our students, families, and fans embrace the increased safety practices and report any unauthorized or suspicious activity.
If you see something or hear something that could jeopardize school safety, please contact our 24-hour safety hotline at 918-480-SAFE.
OSSAA said it is looking into outside help to assist school districts in order to ensure panics like the one at Williams Stadium Friday don’t become common. Other than that, the association said it’s confident enough in local security.
“We’ve got some communication going out now just to kind of get some information as to how other state associations would handle situations like what we had,” Jackson said during the Zoom news conference.