One dead after shooting at youth football game in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The Colorado Springs Police Department confirmed they are actively responding to reports of a shooting at Atlas Prep School.
KRDO13 asked CSPD if anyone had been injured in the incident or if a suspect had been identified. A spokesperson for Colorado Springs PD said they could not answer those questions at this time.
UPDATE at 4:47 p.m.:
Sergeant Rebecca Smith with the Colorado Springs Police told KRDO13 that the suspect in the shooting has not been arrested.
One male, 29 years old, is confirmed dead. CSPD reports no other injuries.
Colorado Springs Police have blocked off a section of South Murray Blvd. from Merchants Ct. to Center Park Dr. while they continue their investigation.
CSPD is asking the public to avoid the area.
UPDATE at 4:10 p.m.:
The CEO of Atlas Schools Brittney Stroh released a statement on Facebook. The statement says, "A fight broke out, ending in the loss of a person’s life." That fight took place during a sports game hosted by an external group that had rented the field from the school. A spokesperson for Atlas Schools said the field was rented out to Pop Warner, a youth football league.
A witness on the scene tells KRDO13 that a youth football game was taking place when the shooting broke out.
No Atlas students were affected by the incident.
Full statement:
Dear Atlas families,
On the weekends, Atlas rents our sports fields and facilities to external groups.
Today, during one of those games hosted by an external group, a fight broke out, ending in the loss of a person’s life. While this took place on Atlas’s grounds, neither Atlas nor any of its students were involved or affected. Our condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this tragedy.
The Colorado Springs Police Department is handling this incident. It is an ongoing investigation. We will update here if we have any additional information as it pertains to our Atlas families.
Sincerely,
Brittney Stroh
CEO, Atlas Schools
We want to address the unfortunate incident that occurred during our Pop Warner games at Atlas Prep this afternoon. This situation was not related to our teams; it involved two individuals with prior personal issues who do not have children in our league and do not participate in any coaching or volunteer roles. The safety of our athletes and their families is our top priority, and we are implementing additional measures to ensure their continued safety in the future. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' family during this difficult time.
Michelle Quintana
President
Pikes Peak Pop Warner
KRDO13 will keep updating this article as we learn more information.