Forest Park High School football game ends early after fight breaks out, gun rumor sends people running
Forest Park set to finish football game rescheduled due to brawl
Tuesday's high school football game between Forest Park and Potomac High School is closed to the public including families, students and staff. The restrictions were put in place after a brawl on Friday night forced the game to end early. At the time the score was 13-0 with Forest Park winning.
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. - A high school football game in Prince William County ended early in the fourth quarter after a fight broke out between two groups of students and a rumor spread that someone had a gun.
According to Forest Park High School Principal Richard Martinez, the rumor about the gun sent people running for the exits and out of an abundance of caution, Prince William County police decided to call the game between Forest Park and Potomac High Schools a few minutes early.
Police began to investigate and quickly determined that the rumor about the weapon was false. No weapon was found, no injuries were reported and no arrests were made.
Martinez says the teams will finish the game at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday but it will be without an audience. School officials say due to the limited amount of time remaining, no admission will be allowed.
"As we continue our football season, I will continue to work with our Risk Management Department, as well as the Prince William County Police, to assess our safety protocols," Martinez said in a letter to parents.
No additional information about what led up to the fights or the number of students involved has been released.
Read the full message from Principal Richard Martinez below:
Dear Forest Park High School Families,
I want to follow up regarding the varsity football game played against Potomac High School last Friday night. As many of you know, the game was called early in the fourth quarter by the Prince William County Police.
I realize there are many rumors in the community about what may have occurred during the game. Based on our investigation, as well as the investigation by the Prince William County Police Department, there was a fight between two groups of students. There were no injuries, but a rumor of a gun caused many people to begin running toward the exit.
We have not been able to confirm the presence of a gun, or shots fired. I apologize to our students and their families, as well as the Potomac High School students and their families, and staff members working the game, for any inconvenience this may have caused. The safety of our players and everyone attending the game is our highest priority. The game was called early out of an abundance of caution. No one was injured.
Our players will have the opportunity to finish the game on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. Due to the limited amount of time remaining, no admission will be allowed. As we continue our football season, I will continue to work with our Risk Management Department, as well as the Prince William County Police, to assess our safety protocols.
Potomac High School Principal Brandon Boles also sent a letter to parent following up on the incident Monday.
Read the full message below:
Dear Potomac High School Families:I want to follow up regarding the varsity football game played against Forest Park High School at Forest Park last Friday night. As many of you know, the game was called early in the fourth quarter by the Prince William County Police.
I realize there are many rumors in the community about what may have occurred during the game. Based on our investigation, as well as the investigation by the Prince William County Police Department, there was a fight between two groups of students. There were no injuries, but a rumor of a gun caused many people to begin running toward the exit.
We have not been able to confirm the presence of a gun, or shots fired. I apologize to our students and their families, as well as staff members working the game, for any inconvenience this may have caused. The safety of our players and everyone attending the game is our highest priority. The game was postponed out of an abundance of caution. No one was injured.
Our players will have the opportunity to finish the game on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. Due to the limited amount of time remaining, no admission will be allowed. I appreciate your cooperation, patience, and support.