Local Team Boycotting Games in Newburgh; Will More Follow?

One school district announced it's not going anywhere near Newburgh after gun violence erupted at a football game on Friday.

Football Game Shooting

Gunfire broke out after a high school football game in Newburgh sending three people to the hospital. According to local authorities, the gunshots erupted as players and spectators were leaving the stadium on Friday night. Officers working security at the game responded to gunfire in the parking lot just after 9:30pm.

The City of Newburgh police says the victims included a 43-year-old woman who was shot in the foot., a 19-year-old woman who suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh and a 21-year-old man who was struck by a bullet in the ankle.

As of Monday, there were no arrests in the case but police are asking for information about two individuals who are persons of interest in the shooting.

Anyone with information is being asked to call the City of Newburgh Detective Division at (845) 569-7509.

Not an Isolated Incident

The shooting follows another shocking incident that left one man dead and sent a five-year-old child to the hospital. Just one day before the football game, a shooting in the City of Newburgh killed a 29-year-old man. The spray of bullets occurred while children were playing on the street, striking a child. The man was pronounced at St. Luke's while the child was airlifted to Westchester County with non-life threatening injuries.

Student Murdered at Hudson Valley High School Game

One year ago an Arlington High School student was stabbed and killed after a football game in LaGrange. Nestor A. Ortiz-Ocampo, an 18-year-old City of Poughkeepsie man, was charged with the manslaughter of 16-year-old Quraan Smith. Police called the stabbing an "isolated incident" and that there was no further danger to the public. Discussions of increased security followed, but no games were canceled or boycotted by other teams.

Enough is Enough

One Hudson Valley school district has announced that they've had enough and will no longer be "taking part in any sports or extracurricular activities in Newburgh." The message was posted on the Warwick Valley Central School District's website. The Warwick High School team was playing against Newburgh before the shooting broke out on Friday.

Fortunately, our football and cheerleading teams arrived home safely in Warwick a little more than an hour ago. This evening’s events were certainly alarming. Please be aware that until further notice, the Warwick Valley Central School District will not be taking part in any sports or extracurricular activities in Newburgh. Our thoughts remain with all those impacted by this evening’s events.

The message went on to say that the district was prepared to "support students and families during this time."

Will Other Schools Follow?

It's unclear if other school districts will also take measures to keep their students away from games in the City of Newburgh. While the school has seen its share of violence, it's certainly not the only school with a problem. We want to know what you think. Would you send your child to play a game in Newburgh after Friday's incident? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or by sending us a message on our mobile app.

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