FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Football fans piled into Westwood Academy's Lawnwood Stadium in Fort Pierce Friday night to root for their football team, with clear bags in tow. It was one of the more obvious changes to security at the school after last week's gun scare during the third quarter.
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The scare prompted St. Lucie Public School officials to make immediate safety changes that they say they were already planning for. The changes included random metal detector scans, banning large backpacks and not allowing entry after the first half of the game.
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Parents of Westwood Academy students told WPTV Reporter Cassandra Garcia that the new rules do help them feel more at ease about the safety of their children.
“It’s made me feel a little bit safer,” Westwood Academy parent Amanda Hanner said.
Hanner recalls last week's scare.
“A large amount of students just starting run and swarm down the front of the bleachers,” Hanner said. “It was definitely a little nerve racking.”
Westwood Academy played West Palm Beach's King's Academy last night, and some parents from King's Academy were cautious leading up to the game.
“It was concerning that we were coming up to play in a potential dangerous situation, so when i pulled in i was glad to see all the police presence here,” King's Academy parent Rob Roche said.
Ultimately, it was a night that kicked off with peace of mind on both sides of the field.
"It’s a family event, and it’s really important for us to make sure people feel safe, feel comfortable, and really want to be here,” Chief of Schools for St. Lucie Public Schools Craig Sommer told WPTV .
St. Lucie County Public Schools told us the new safety measures went smoothly and they had no security issues.
