AURORA, Colo. — One adult and one teenager have been arrested after a large brawl broke out during a high school football game in Aurora, according to the Aurora Police Department.
Officials said multiple fights broke out Friday night during a game between Rangeview and Vista Prep high schools at the APS Stadium.
"Kids were just running, you know, all over. And when kids run, you automatically think, there's a fight," said one mom, who was at the game when the chaos erupted. "I just stayed in the stands the whole time making sure me and my family were safe."
Denver7 spoke with two other parents who also wished to remain anonymous. Both said they were not at the game but their kids were.
"I needed to touch base with them immediately," one of the mothers said. "It's just not okay to have that kind of behavior."
"They should be able to go to a football game, enjoy it, and have fun," another concerned parent said. "They shouldn't have to worry if they can make it to the parking lot safely."
Lt. Matt Brukbacher with the Aurora Police Department said they were initially called for reports of shots fired. When they arrived, they discovered the report was unfounded, but found tensions were high among the crowd.
"The event that we had last night was definitely highly charged and very dangerous for all involved, the public and law enforcement," he said.
Lt. Brukbacher said at one point he felt the need to make a call for the entire city to respond to the brawl. At the highest point, he said there were 60 to 70 officers on the scene.
"I made the determination as a crowd management specialist that we needed more resources there as quickly as possible to try to de-escalate the situation," Brukbacher said.
Brukbacher isn't exactly sure what sparked the fight.
"It's my understanding that there is some tension, if you will, between the two schools when they have football games like this, so that might have played a role in it," Brukbacher said.
Two arrests were made, including a teenager who was found with a gun.
"My request to families and parents that are sending their kids to these events, is having a discussion with them about the appropriate decorum. When we have a very dangerous situation that they need to obey those orders and leave as quickly as possible to try to resolve the problem," Brukbacher said.
"High school athletics should be for entertainment, fun," a worried parent said. "I think they just need to know that it's not OK."
APD said there were no serious injuries. Several parents said they plan to attend all future football games to make sure their kids are safe.
Corey Christiansen with Aurora Public Schools released the following statement:
"We were disappointed and troubled to see multiple spectators engage in fights during last night’s football game. We are grateful that no one was seriously injured. The safety of our students, staff and families is our top priority. In the interest of safety, we canceled the rest of the football game. We do not condone or allow any violent behavior at our sporting events.
We want to acknowledge the quick action and response from our APS Security Team and the Aurora Police Department. We are reviewing our game management protocols to ensure all future events can be enjoyed by district patrons. We ask for our community’s support in preventing future disruptions to our games."
