JOHNSON COUNTY, Ga. — Expect stricter security measures the next time you go to a Johnson County football game. The school district released new safety rules for games after the shooting that happened in front of Lovett stadium during a scrimmage game on August 5.
13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha visited town to learn what the rules are and what folks in town think about them.
"Kids are our most precious commodity resource and we want to make sure that when they come to school every day, that they feel safe,” Superintendent Christopher Watkins says.
Watkins says he was at the game the night the shooting happened.
"A lot of people were scared. We saw people running trying to find a place as safe as possible,” Watkins explains. “Our ultimate concern, our top concern was making sure that our community felt safe.”.
Watkins says these measures are a sign of our times. They've been working with law enforcement and homeland security to create stricter security, like metal detectors, no outside drinks or bags will be allowed in the games, and large groups cannot gather around the bathroom or concession stands.
"Definitely disappointing that people would bring things that have nothing to do with our school and upset our fans. We just want to make sure that we're doing the same thing that other venues are doing to make sure that all of our fans are safe,” Watkins says.
Herman Price lives in the apartments right across from the football stadium.
"There ain't been nothing like this that's happened before,” Price says.
He says he likes that the school is stepping up.
"Safety first, you know what I'm saying? The apartment complex, these children out here, but they're doing the best they can. This is a small community,” he says.
Joseph Kirby says some of his stepchildren were at the game the night of the shooting.
“The thought that something could’ve happened to them, it scares me,” he says.
Kirby says he appreciates the school trying to strengthen safety measures, but he says they’re a little too strict.
"I've heard about the new rules they've got and they're fine. It's perfectly OK, but they're not rules to protect people on the outside. They're not rules to protect people from doing it again on the outside if -- god forbid-- something worse happened,” he says.
Superintendent Watkins says there are more long-term security measures to come that deal with the infrastructure of the stadium.