‘Parenting in America today’: Parents shaken after firearm discharged at children’s soccer game
VENN
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Parents are speaking out after police say a firearm accidentally went off during a children’s soccer game in Henrico County over the weekend.
The incident happened around 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, while Greater Richmond YMCA teams were playing soccer at Holman Middle School, according to the Henrico County Police Division.
Police said a firearm fell out of a spectator’s bag, causing it to fire a shot.
"'Bang' -- you sort of hear what sounds like a gunshot," said Rayshawn Graves, who watches his 5-year-old daughter play at the school every weekend. "And everything changes immediately."
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Officers secured the firearm when they arrived and confirmed there were no injuries or property damage. Graves said that, to his surprise, the games continued normally.
"Everyone stopped, everyone froze ... it was very silent for about 10 to 15 seconds," he said. "But nobody really spoke up. Nobody panicked, nobody ran, and everybody was just very quiet."
He said the response felt unusual -- and he's not the only parent concerned by it.
"Business went back to usual pretty quickly," said Becca Liberman, another parent. "We cannot let discharging a firearm at a six-and-under soccer game be okay."
The Greater Richmond YMCA confirmed the person involved was a parent who also works in federal law enforcement and is legally permitted to carry a firearm. However, YMCA officials said their no-weapons policy applies to all programs. That parent has since been banned from YMCA property and future activities.
The YMCA issued two statements, with the first reading as follows:
"Dear Parents,
During today's soccer game at Holman Middle School, a firearm belonging to a parent accidentally discharged. Thankfully, no one was injured and the safety of our children, parents and staff remains our top priority. Our staff immediately called 911 and police responded to the scene.
Police investigated and confirmed that the individual involved is a member of federal law enforcement and was legally permitted to carry a firearm. The situation was resolved quickly.
We understand how concerning this incident is. We continue to maintain a strict no-weapons policy at all YMCA programs, facilities, and events. Furthermore, we will work closely with law enforcement and our school partners to review this matter and reinforce our commitment to providing a safe environment for every child and family."
The second statement, released later, reads as follows:
"Shady Grove Families;
We wanted to provide an update on the incident at Holman Middle School earlier this morning.
In recognition of the safety of our children, parents and staff, the individual involved will be banned from YMCA property and not permitted to attend any future programs or events. The incident is now in the hands of the Henrico County police department.
Our code of conduct expressly prohibits carrying or concealing any weapons by members, participants or guests participating and/or observing our programs and using our facilities. We will continue to review our policies and training to ensure our staff are properly prepared to enforce this policy.
We are incredibly disappointed that this happened and are thankful that nobody was hurt. We want to thank the parents that responded quickly to help resolve the issue at this morning's games."
Henrico Police said this is an isolated incident with no threat to the community.
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"That’s, unfortunately, parenting in America today," Liberman said. "It felt like a very safe space ... and I don’t think it’ll ever truly feel like a safe space again."
