An unfortunate and growing reality of each high school football season is the litany of firearm-related issues affecting games.
On the first Friday of Pennsylvania’s high school football season, the state already has seen one game impacted by the issue.
A contest in Montgomery County between Abington and Cheltenham was suspended with 1:49 remaining in the third quarter, following a parent notifying Abington Township police that a male student was found with a handgun and an extended magazine at Abington’s stadium.
Police say a second magazine was also found on the male, who police learned was a Cheltenham student.
The student was apprehended and taken into custody without incident. No shots were fired and no injuries were reported, as the suspension was imposed out of an abundance of caution.
The incident came on the same night that four people were shot at a high school football game in Oklahoma.
Cheltenham superintendent Brian W. Scriven released a statement on Twitter following the incident, noting that the contest, which Cheltenham led 14-7 at the half, will resume at a later date.
“Please be advised: Tonight’s football game between Abington Senior High School and Cheltenham High School has been suspended and will be resumed at a later date, due to the discovery that an attendee was in possession of a firearm and safety concerns.”
“The individual has been taken into police custody and attendees of the game are being instructed to promptly leave the school campus. Both football teams were safely dismissed to the locker rooms.”
The suspect was detained by Montgomery County Juvenile Probation and charged with felony weapon offenses, as police continue to investigate the incident.
