MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Parents at a Memphis football game Friday night can breathe a sigh of relief.
Police said several teens jumped the fence at Central High School armed with handguns, but no violence occurred, and no one was hurt.
“Where are these parents? What are they doing? Why are these kids running around with loaded deadly weapons, not just these kids caught at the football game but all these kids getting caught day in and day out,” District Attorney General Amy Weirich said.
Witnesses identified 19-year-old Jeremiah Rubin and 18-year-old Andrew Johnson, along with two teens, as the ones with the loaded handguns.
Court documents indicate detectives received reports they were coming to “shoot into the crowd of people attending” the game.
“Anytime our young people are running around town with loaded guns, it’s not for any good reason. They’re not doing that to protect themselves. They’re doing that to commit crimes, to victimize people,” Weirich said.
Deputies along with the SCS security team were able to quickly jump into action.
Regardless, it was still a scary thought for parents of what could’ve been.
“I do not feel safe at all,” said Michaela Reed, a concerned parent.
Local leaders said it will take all of us, as a community, to step up to return a sense of safety to our streets.
“It’s going to take everybody in this community saying we’ve had enough, that this is ridiculous and we’re going to do everything we can in our little corner to step up, speak out and stop the violence,” Weirich said.
Two of the teens were arrested and charged with carrying a weapon on school property and unlawful possession of a weapon. The other two were taken to juvenile court. When asked, Shelby County Schools said the students involved were “appropriately disciplined.”