AKRON, Ohio — An Akron pee-wee football league is thankful for security and a brave coach after gunshots forced a football game to end early. The shooting took place Saturday afternoon in a nearby parking lot. No one was injured, but the league is looking into more ways to keep the teams safe.
Khai Shelton began coaching pee-wee football for one main reason: the kids. Growing up, he knew his coaches had a major impact on him, and he wanted to be that for the younger generation. That love is also why Khai quickly responded Saturday when shots rang during his team's game.
“I tell these kids every day, I love them. I ask them for 110% I’m on their back. I feed them whatever they need from me they could get from me,” said Khai.
Saturday around 5 p.m. at Erie Island Ballfield, Khai was grabbing water from his truck for the team when he noticed a group of teens fighting in the parking lot. Next thing he knew, he watched one of those teens point a gun in the air and fire multiple shots.
Police say an officer was on scene providing security that also heard those shots. As the crowd panicked, the officer ran in the direction of the gunfire, and so did Khai.
“If you've ever been to that location, you know it's one way in on layout. Everybody's scattering and this person, he's running with the crowd, with the gun. So my instinct, I jump up start chasing him,” said Khai.
The 14-year-old male shooter was taken into custody a block away from the field, and later, police also recovered the loaded handgun.
But this incident isn't the first of its kind in Akron; almost a year ago, a 7-year-old was injured after shots were fired near another pee-wee football game on a different field in a different league.
“Both of these incidents involve young people, you know, not only the seven year old who was impacted then, but in that case, very young people, teenagers responsible for that shooting as it appears to be the case in this shooting,” said Captain Michael Miller with Akron Police.
Miller adds they are seeing an increase in teen violence in Akron and nationwide. But for leagues like the Akron Parent Pee-wee Football Association they're not letting that stop the work they do.
“What we don't want to do is shut down the league and then have 1500 kids back out into the streets and not in a program that's violence prevention, student oriented,” said Donnie Christian, president of the Akron Parent Pee-wee Football Association.
Instead, they're meeting with local leaders to mitigate any future problems.
"What we've talked about is possibly moving our games into the high school stadiums. If that could be worked out, and that way that's a closed venue and it could be properly secured. We can manage the gate. We can control who comes in, who goes out, and that kind of thing,” said Christian.
No one was injured in the shooting, and the suspect was not in the league. The team has four more games that Khai says they still plan to play because the kids deserve it. Additionally, they’ll keep doing everything in their power to make sure they are safe.
“So at the end of the day, I know these kids fight to be here, the ones that actually are involved. They love football,” said Khai.
The 14-year-old who was arrested is facing multiple charges, including carrying a concealed weapon and obstructing official business.
