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Tulsa police chief describes McLain shooting as a 'very concerning trend among young people'

mclain vs. miami
Miami Public Schools
/
WardogTV
A photo of football players from McLain and Miami High Schools shaking hands after McLain's homecoming game last Friday moments before a gunman began shooting into a crowd of people. Photo taken from a livestream of the game by WardogTV on October 5, 2022.

Shots rang out near the exit of the football stadium as players from McLain and Miami high schools shook hands following McLain's homecoming game last Friday.

Video from a live broadcast of the game shows both teams running off the field after hearing gunshots as announcers Chad Davis and Jim Paxson from WardogTV worked to figure out what happened.

The Tulsa Police Department is still looking for the suspect responsible for killing one person and injuring three others after opening fire into a crowd of people exiting the stadium.

Investigators said while they believe the gunman was aiming at a specific person, one student was killed and another was transferred to the hospital in critical condition.

Officials later found two more victims: a 20-year-old woman and a 6-year-old child.

Police Chief Wendell Franklin described the shooting as a "very concerning trend among young people" and said that violence doesn't necessarily start from face-to-face interactions. Franklin said the department has been seeing a lot of young people "calling each other out on social media."

"Then at some point in time — whether its the same day, a week later, later two weeks later — they might see each other at an event and that leads to violence either through fist fights or the worst being shootings," Franklin explained.

The Tulsa police chief said it's ultimately up to parents to serve as the first line of defense for violence prevention. He says not only do parents need to know where their child is, but they need to know what they're saying online.

"You should know what they're doing," Franklin said. "You should have access to their social media accounts, you should be friends with them on those social media platforms, and that way you know what's going on and you're engaged, and can help steer that child in the right direction."

Tulsa police said this is the shooting death of 17-year-old Terron Yarbrough is the city's 60th homicide this year.

Officials said there were hundreds of people at the stadium who saw what happened, and that they need witnesses to come forward with their side of the story.

If you have any information on the shooting, officials are asking that you call their non-emergency number at 918-596-9222.

Before making her way to Public Radio Tulsa, KWGS News Director Cassidy Mudd worked as an assignment editor and digital producer at a local news station. Her work has appeared on ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates across the country.