Friday night brought a new perspective to students, fans and residents attending the Elmore County versus Tallassee high school football game.
After a string of weather events, many attendees were not surprised when they heard over the loudspeaker they needed to leave the stadium immediately and go home. Other schools were experiencing lightning delays, and the weather pattern over the previous days would be a reasonable concern to continue with regularly scheduled sporting events. However, this was not the case.
All occupants of the Burt-Haynie Field were urged to immediately evacuate the premises, with players taking shelter in the locker room, and guests swiftly exiting the stadium. The announcers had been made aware of a possible shooting threat.
Despite the excitement Friday night football brings for people all over the state of Alabama, sacrifices sometimes have to be made to ensure the safety of citizens. While many were eager to see how the game would conclude, Elmore County High School administration worked closely with local officials and law enforcement to immediately postpone the game, sending everyone home.
It was rumored a student made a social media post regarding a threat to shoot up the game. Whether the threat was real or not, school leadership and local law enforcement made the quick decision to postpone the game entirely, ensuring the safety of the guests, players and fans.
In events such as Friday night’s game, it’s important to put safety at the forefront no matter how much fun is happening, or how well a team is playing. Any event can be made up, but a life cannot be brought back if taken away.
Winning a game is not worth the possibility of losing lives.
