Man killed outside stadium during game, prompting evacuation
JEANNETTE, Pa. (AP) — A man was shot and killed outside of a Pennsylvania stadium during the final minutes of a high school football game, prompting evacuation of the stadium, authorities said.
The shooting was reported at 9:20 p.m. Friday outside the Park Street gate of McKee Stadium in Jeannette, where Jeannette and Imani Christian were playing, police said.
Dameian Williams, 48, was shot after a verbal altercation with another person and pronounced dead at Excela Westmoreland’s emergency department, the Westmoreland County coroner’s office said.
City police took Greg Harper, 40, of Jeannette, into custody, and he was arraigned on charges of homicide and reckless endangerment.
Police said in a criminal complaint that Harper said Williams approached him to talk outside the stadium, then hit him twice in the head, knocking him to the ground, after which he drew a weapon and fired. Court documents don’t list a defense attorney; messages were left at numbers listed for Harper.
The game between Jeanette High School and Imani Christian was called with under 4 minutes left in the game and Jeanette leading 48-0. Fans in the stadium were evacuated on the opposite side of the facility from the shooting, with no injuries reported.
The Jeannette City School District said in a statement that when the shooting was reported, city police, stadium security and district administrators took immediate action to secure the area and relocate players, coaches, band and cheerleaders to a safe location. Counseling services were to be made available to students and staff.
“The terrible events of last evening do not reflect the heart of our community, its citizens and certainly not our beloved school district,” the district said in a message posted on its Facebook page.