A shooting took place in the parking lot behind Mariner High School’s Goddard Stadium in Everett at approximately 9 p.m. on Friday, Sep. 14. The shooting occurred during a football game between Mariner High School (MHS) and rival Kamiak High School (KHS). Approximately 200 people were evacuated from the stadium and the surrounding school grounds in the aftermath of the shooting.

Five to six shots were fired according to Courtney O’Keefe, the spokeswoman for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. No injuries have been reported as a result of the shooting.  

Snohomish County Police deputies were assisted by surrounding police departments, including police from Mill Creek, Lynnwood and Everett, in conducting a precautionary evacuation of the audience from the grounds of MHS.

After the evacuation was complete, police then closed down the MHS campus and 4th Avenue West for evidence investigation. Police deputies reportedly found several shell cases on the street. The road was reopened for traffic at approximately 10 p.m. and fans were briefly allowed back into the stadium to retrieve their belongings.

According to O’Keefe, there was reported to be a quarrel between juveniles in the parking lot prior to shots being fired. The Mukilteo School District (MSD) indicates that the altercation moved off campus and onto 4th Avenue West, which is where the shots were fired. Additionally, a school resource officer was said to be in the process of responding to the fight in the parking lot after being made aware of it by several student reports when the five to six shots were fired on 4th Avenue West.

Investigators have not yet confirmed the identities of those involved in the altercation or the shooting and whether or not those people are current students at either MHS or KHS. No shooting victims have come forward to the authorities and no suspects are currently in custody, but investigations are expected to continue.

Shortly after the shooting took place, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the announcer at the football game reportedly told the audience over the PA system to “hit the deck,” and the football game was immediately terminated.

Chaos ensued as attendees scrambled in both directions in addition to people running into the stadium from the parking lot. Parents were seen panickedly trying to find their children and evacuate the stadium to a safer location. According to the MSD, the chaos resulted in several people being trampled and one student to roll their ankle, although no one received severe injuries.

Alexander Vickery, a student at KHS who was close to the stadium when the shooting and subsequent evacuation occurred described the event.

“[The shooting] happened during the game, in the parking lot,” Vickery said. “People started running from all over, imagine a scatter. People started running everywhere and toppling each other, and the bleachers were destroyed.”