Anniston High School decided to postpone both the Friday homecoming football game and the Thursday parade due to an off-campus shooting that involved numerous students.
As the Anniston High School Bulldogs got ready for their homecoming game on Friday, the lively Noble Street in downtown Anniston was expected to be alive with cheerleaders. However, the procession, a beloved tradition was canceled by school officials out of concern for everyone’s safety.
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Several parents lashed the School’s move. Brandi Dobbins, a parent of an Anniston High School student, said, “This is something they do every year. Homecoming week is a big thing at Anniston High. Everybody was going to be out there today ready to support the Bulldogs because a lot of people go way back to ‘77 that still support the Bulldogs.”
The South Highland Community Center in Anniston was shaken by gunfire on Tuesday that, according to the police, was between 30 and 50 bullets per minute.
A teen who was shot during a fight among some girls at the community center is now recovering. The event happened late on Thursday.
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Anniston police Chief Nick Bowels in a statement said, “Our young people don’t respect themselves enough and don’t respect each other enough that they’re not going to take another life. This isn’t ‘Call of Duty.’ It’s a miracle that no one else was struck and no one else was killed in that, especially with how many rounds were fired. A lot of people were hurt behind it because the upper like their kids are getting taken from because other people don’t know how to act in the community.”
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Bowels fervently pleaded with the kids to think carefully about the repercussions of their acts before using violence. “Even if you’re not directly involved, there’s a chance that you might be bidding your parents farewell if you’re leaving for a party. You could not even be aware that your life could be taken by a buddy or another group, “Bowels emphasized.