COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — A man is facing multiple charges after deputies say a stolen handgun was recovered following a fight during a high school football game Friday night.
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The fight happened around 9:10 p.m. during the East Coweta High School versus Newnan High School football game at East Coweta’s Garland Shoemake Stadium.
According to the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, deputies working security at the game witnessed a fight break out near the entrance of the stadium and quickly intervened to stop it.
While deputies were investigating the altercation, a bystander turned over a handgun that had been found on the ground where the fight occurred. Authorities secured the weapon and reviewed video footage to determine how the fight started and who the gun belonged to.
Authorities identified Shamarion Reese, 20, as the person they believe possessed the firearm during the altercation. Reese was arrested and charged with possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm on school grounds and affray.
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Three others were also arrested on affray charges: Ashton Richardson, 18; Mark Williams, 18; and Jontavious Broome, 17.
Kashmir Richardson, 17, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. A young boy was also charged with affray and released to a guardian at the scene.
The arrests come after school officials initially reported that several individuals had been taken into custody following a disturbance that broke out near the home-side concession stands during halftime.
In a statement released after the game, the Coweta County School System said deputies and school administrators patrolling the event responded immediately and stopped the altercation.
Officials said the gun recovered during the incident was not discharged and that the game continued without further interruption.
“Our school system and our Coweta law enforcement community dedicate a great deal of resources and personnel to ensure that community events like this are safe for all of our students and citizens,” Coweta County School System Safety Director Danielle Rosa said. “We had a strong presence on hand to monitor and respond immediately when this occurred at tonight’s game, and I am grateful for the high level of cooperation and coordination we continue to have here.”
East Coweta High School Principal Stefanie Easterwood also praised the response from law enforcement and school staff.
“I appreciate the swift response from law enforcement personnel and our school and system administrators,” Easterwood said. “We were able to contain this quickly, and continue with our game without any further interruption.”
The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains ongoing.
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Earlier on Friday, a fight broke out between two teams before their football game, causing it to be canceled.
Players from Heritage High School and Rockdale County High School got into a fight on the field during pre-game warmups, officials confirmed.
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