The Daytona Beach Police Department has further elaborated on a full shutdown of the Mainland-Cocoa high school football game on Friday. Around 8:00 pm, just before halftime in the game, the field was cleared and spectators were told to stay in their seats as a large law enforcement presence swept over the area. It later became known that a juvenile had been caught on-premises with a firearm.
According to a statement by the DBPD in the aftermath of the incident, the gun was identified by a security guard who was doing regular security checks at the entry point to Mainland High School's football stadium. In a bag being carried in by the suspect, the guard found the gun and immediately brought it to the attention of a Daytona Beach Police officer.
Upon seizing the bag and attempting, the DBPD says, the juvenile ran away and was successful for the time being in preventing his arrest. Two other juveniles who were together with the initial suspect were also said to have fled, but were both caught, arrested, and charged with resisting arrest.
As the incident continued on, the suspect was identified and apprehended. They were charged with disturbing the peace, possession of a firearm on school grounds, resisting arrest, and theft of a firearm. No names were disclosed as of Monday afternoon. Law enforcement conducted a check on the area to ensure there was no longer any threat to the public, and gave the all-clear for the football game to resume. They left more personnel at the scene to continue to monitor the event and keep it safe.
"The Daytona Beach Police Department remains dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of all community events and we are grateful that this situation was resolved without any injuries, achieving the best possible outcome under the circumstances," the DBPD said in their statement.
