Shooting Victims at Florida High School Football Game Were Targeted

The people shot during a high school football game in Florida on Friday, Aug. 17, were targeted, officials said.

“This shooting WAS NOT a random act of violence,” said the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

“The shooting occurred just outside the seating area of the stadium near the ticket booth.”

Emergency responders and police officers rushed to Palm Beach Central High School after shots were fired during the game.

But officials said the shooting “had no bearing” on Palm Beach Football Club or its opponent, William T. Dwyer High School, students, faculty, or staff, and stressed it wasn’t a school shooting.

“The people that were involved in the shooting were looking for these two individuals,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a press conference Saturday.

“Now, they had some information that they very well might be at the football game but they could have been at a bowling alley. … These type of things, because of the people that are involved in it, happen at a time and a place where they can find each other.”

Palm Beach County School District Police Chief Frank Kitzerow noted the shooting happened about 50 yards from a main road, just outside the seating area for the game.

Video footage and photos show the crowd at the game stampeding out of the stadium after the shots were fired. Palm Beach senior Chase Strelec told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that he knew something was wrong when he saw all of the players running to the locker rooms as he stood near the bottom of the bleachers.

“And at that moment when everyone was running toward me I just saw a sea of black and red and silver and empty bleachers,” he said. He ran with his friends to a nearby field until the police arrived, returning to the main field on Saturday to collect the things he left behind in the chaos.

Victims Identified

One of the victims has been identified by name as Daniel Foster Sr. The 39-year-old is the father of Daniel Foster Jr., a senior who plays football for William T. Dwyer High School.

Daniel Foster Sr. was in stable condition after being shot in the torso.

The other victim has not been identified by name but officials said he is a 29-year-old who is also in stable, but critical, condition.

Dwyer Principal Corey Brooks told the Palm Beach Post that Daniel Foster Jr. may now be a target of the gunmen.

“This young man never lived with the dad, he’s never been in a relationship with the dad, he’s not even listed as a parent on the student record. He does not come to the football games and mom saw him last night and was very surprised to see him,” he said. “I’m concerned that this kid now is being targeted.”

Gregg Lerman, an attorney who has represented Foster Sr. in the past, said his client had been in and out of prison for nearly 20 years on drug, burglary, and gun charges.

The sheriff said that the two suspects have been identified as black males; one in his late teens to early twenties, standing 6'0” and weighing 170 pounds. Both were armed with black handguns.

“If you have ANY information about these suspects or about this shooting, please come forward. You could do it anonymously via our App http://pbsoapp.com or DM us on Social. Anything would help,” the office said.

From NTD.tv