Student athlete injured in shooting during football game at Ohio high school

A student and athlete was injured in a shooting during a high school football game Friday night.

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The football game between North College Hill High School and Woodward High School was halted minutes before the end of the first half after shots were fired near the stadium. our news partners at WCPO-9 TV reported.

Cincinnati Public Schools confirmed that a Woodward student-athlete was injured in the shooting.

The district did not disclose whether the student played football or another sport.

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“Cincinnati Public Schools is aware of this tragic event and our support continues to be with the student, his family, friends and the school community,” CPS said in its statement. “CPS's Crisis Response Team will be on site to provide support to students as they return to school on Tuesday.”

This is the second time this month that a football game in North College Hill has been abruptly ended due to a shooting in the area. WCPO-9 TV reported.

“Once again, we are dealing with outside forces that have nothing to do with the North College Hill City School District … creating a terrible situation, so I am saddened,” North College Hill Superintendent Eugene Blalock said after Friday's shooting.

This was the first game at North College Hill since gunfire in the area ended their game against Cincinnati Country Day on September 6.

According to police, someone fired ten shots near an apartment complex across the street from the stadium.

The match was stopped and the stadium evacuated when police arrived on the scene. No one was injured in the incident on September 6.

The next two games were either cancelled because the opposing team refused to travel or postponed to another date or time.

Blalock said the crowd on Friday was “huge” as the community came together to support their student-athletes and “show them that they are worth it and that we believe in them.”

“And for that to happen again, the second football game in a row in the community, we have to try harder,” Blalock said.

Blalock said he believes it is about “more than just athletics.”

“Our students played hard and won the game, but who cares about football now?” Blalock said. “So now we have traumatized children, and the trauma continues. If I were a parent, I honestly don't know if I would allow my child to come to another game.”

Blalock confirmed that Friday's game will be the last game this year on the field.

“I'm not going to put anyone else's life at risk, and it would hurt me terribly if another school felt they were doing something wrong by trying to protect their children,” Blalock said.

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