LIBERTY, Pa. — When fans walk into Gladiator Stadium for South Allegheny’s next home football game, they’ll be screened using OpenGate technology. It’s one of the changes being implemented after someone fired a gun inside the stadium Friday night.
Channel 11 showed you video of players from South Allegheny and Elizabeth Forward running off the field as that was heard. Liberty Borough police said a 17-year-old, who does not attend either school, fired the shot near the entrance. No one was hit, but police said they found him carrying a semi-automatic handgun.
South Allegheny’s superintendent spoke exclusively with Channel 11, saying conversations with law enforcement and the school board began almost immediately on how to prevent anything like this from ever happening again.
“That’s the call that nobody wants to get,” McDonald said. “Whenever you have an incident like this, my mind shifts to - what are we going to do to be better? That’s what we’re doing, so that started Saturday morning.”
South Allegheny school officials placed an order for OpenGate, a portable, walk-through weapons detection system that will be placed near the main entrance of the stadium. McDonald said even if the system hasn’t arrived by the next home game – the district plans to borrow one in the interim.
“The difference between a traditional metal detector and an OpenGate system is the OpenGate system’s people have a little more flow to them, in how they work, so you can keep the lines moving. Where you go through a traditional metal detector system, it’s one at a time, and that really slows things down,” McDonald said.
Another change in the works: the district’s bag policy. It’s now under review, as school leaders lean towards no bags inside the stadium, unless it’s a diaper bag or for medical use. Those bags will be searched at an alternate entrance.
“You never think something like this is going to happen, but it did, so now we study what we do, and we’re going to make sure that we’re better,” McDonald said.
McDonald praised the response from all of the officers, saying the teen was detained within 30 seconds of firing the shot. Counselors were brought in for students Monday, and Gladdy, the district’s 1-year-old therapy dog, was also on hand.
“We had a couple kids who needed some help, but all in all, it was back to business as normal. I think the best thing is you can tell our kids feel safe coming here every day. That’s the goal, and we’re proud of that,” McDonald said.
As the bag policy is being reviewed, fans can expect to have their bags examined if they plan to attend Tuesday’s home soccer game and possibly other events. That new policy will be announced in the coming days.
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