Local youth football league works with police to ensure safety during games
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BUFFALO N.Y. (WIVB) -- A local youth football league is making safety a top priority after a coach from Rochester was shot during a game this past weekend.
"When I first heard the shots, I couldn't believe it," said Ilianna Robinson, who was at Sunday's football game at Emerson Park. "I heard the lady say he has a gun, but I had to look at her and then I seen him with the gun."
Buffalo police said 29-year-old Rahsaan Mallory attempted to rob a football coach and then shot the coach twice, once in the foot and once in the leg. It happened a short distance from where a group of 11-year-olds were playing football.
Coaches and parents quickly went into action to protect the children.
Police said they weren't at Sunday's game because they weren't told there would be a game.
Kenya Peoples, president of GR8 Elite Ducks, the league that hosts the football games, said there was a "miscommunication" and that's why police weren't given more notice.
The league is working with police to ensure that doesn't happen again.
"Just advanced notice would've helped the whole situation out and we would've had police presence," Peoples said. "No one in the league is accusing the police of any wrong doing. It was just a miscommunication and I'll take full responsibility for that miscommunication."
Around 1,000 kids in Buffalo are part of the league. Peoples said having this program is vital to keeping kids focused on something positive and out of trouble.
"It really gives these children an opportunity to display talents and one of the big things it does is keep children out of harms way if you take our program in general," Peoples said.
Sunday's incident began a half hour before the shooting. Police said around 11 a.m. on Moselle Street, Mallory allegedly forced a man and woman into a car and then drove to Emerson field.
He faces numerous charges including attempted murder, kidnapping and criminal possession of a weapon. He's due back in court Friday.
Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work.