(NewsNation) — Four people were shot during the third quarter of a Friday night high school football game between Choctaw High School and Del City High School in Oklahoma, including a 16-year-old boy who passed away.
A 42-year-old male was also shot in the chest and is stable and recovering in the ICU. The others were treated for their injuries and released, officials say.
“Last night, it really hit me with anger. And then today, for the first time ever, I felt like I was going to have some panic attacks,” said the mother of one Choctaw High School student.
Waylon Cannon, a sophomore at Choctaw High School, sprinted through the woods, bloodied and out of breath, racing away from the gunfire that halted the football game. That is when he called his mother Gretchen Cannon.
“Waylon called, and I answered, and I cannot even like reinvent the terror in his voice,” Gretchen said. “He said, it’s almost like, he was sitting back watching a movie, you know, doesn’t even remember pieces of it.”
Police say the shooting started over an argument.
The Choctaw schools’ superintendent, an EMT and others raced to help when shots rang out, Gretchen told NewsNation.
“These people ran to the scene. They didn’t run away. And I’m just so grateful that we have leaders within our school system and within our community that are willing to run to the danger to help people,” Gretchen said.
Gretchen tells NewsNation the tragedy has brought the two rival schools and the whole Choctaw and Del City communities together.
“It’s going to change our culture. And that’s what I hope will happen is just to change the culture of our entire area, where there isn’t division, but instead, there is unification together,” Gretchen said.
Police found two guns and eight rounds at the field. They have a description of who people believe was behind the shooting but are still searching for a suspect.