A 15-year-old male is in police custody following a shooting at a Choctaw High School football game last week.
The suspect was arrested following a joint investigation by Choctaw and Oklahoma City Police, as well as the U.S. Marshals and Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Tommie Johnson led a press conference Wednesday morning to address reporters about the arrest.
OPMX has identified the juvenile charged, but is choosing not to name him because of his age.
“People want to know that they're safe,” Sheriff Johnson said. “So our citizens need to know that law enforcement is working hard, that has their best interests at heart, and that people are safe to attend games and to go do things, and that we're working hard in the background.”
Johnson said the arrest warrant was executed yesterday evening - four days after the shooting which killed 16-year old Cordae Carter, a Midwest City High School Student, and two others injured. According to court documents, the suspect’s arraignment will be September 13.
The suspect is facing 2nd degree murder charges. Choctaw Police told reporters they had confirmed the suspect’s identity the morning after the shooting.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Johnson declined to give reporters details about a 42-year-old man who was shot in the chest by an off duty Del City Police officer - including his name or an update on his condition. Johnson says that investigation continues.
High schools have been considering a number of changes to safety protocols in the wake of the shooting.
Mid-Del Public Schools superintendent Rick Cobbreleased an open letter to the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association calling for uniform event security guidelines across the state.
“[W]e just have to do better,” Cobb writes. “Things have changed. People have changed. Society just isn’t the same. The years since the Pandemic have probably accelerated these changes, but the signs have been all around us for a long time.”
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
