LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A 41-year-old Louisville man was arrested on assault and seven other charges in connection to a shooting Saturday at a youth football game at Iroquois High School.
Louisville Metro Police said Gerrard Harris was taken into custody after a brief chase Saturday through neighborhoods surrounding the school.
According to his arrest citation, officers responded to a reported shooting in the 4600 block of Taylor Boulevard at the high school's track field. Officers arrived field, where about 300 people were gathering for the games, to find a man shot in the thigh. He was taken to UofL Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Witnesses on scene told police a Black man in a gray track suit shot the victim and then jumped over the fence surrounding the field. One witness said he'd known Harris for eight to 10 years through coaching youth football.
Police began searching the area, and a K-9 unit located a gun in the front yard of a home on Walter Avenue, just north of the school. A shell casing recovered from the scene matched the recovered gun, police said.
Police collected video footage showing Harris walking down Walter Avenue and then running between houses when he heard police sirens. Just one street away, at Taylor Boulevard and Oakwood Avenue, police said they saw a man matching the description given by witnesses at Iroquois and arrested Harris.
According to his arrest citation, an LMPD detective tried to conduct a Gunshot Residue test on Harris, but he resisted, trying to sit on his hands and clench his fists. Police had to hold his hands open to conduct the test.
Harris has a lengthy criminal history involving drug possession, DUI, failure to pay child support, assault, illegal gun possession, fleeing police and more.
He was charged Saturday with assault, tampering with physical evidence, disorderly conduct, unlawful possession of a weapon on school property, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, obstructing government operations, wanton endangerment and prohibited firearms discharge.
He's scheduled to be arraigned in court Monday morning.
'We're not going to let the devil win'
A flyer shows a youth football event that was happening Saturday at the high school. According to the flyer, an automatic qualifier for the D1 Nation National Youth Football Championship was being held all day at the football field.
The 11U championship was scheduled for 4:15 p.m. and the 12U championship was supposed to happen at 6 p.m.
Dwayne Sargent and his team, the East St. Louis Junior Flyers Wildboyz traveled to Louisville to compete in the annual Clash of the Titans.
"Just look at what happened, you're not controlling your emotions, affected everybody around," Sargent said. "People had nothing to do with that."
Witnesses said a man walked up to another man he knew and shot him.
"After this incident happened, our program had a big ole prayer circle," said Antwan Lovelace, president of the Louisville Titans Youth Mentor Program.
Lovelace works his best to organize a safe competition for the kids every year.
"We're not going to let the devil win," Lovelace said. "We're not going to let a negative situation stop the impact of what we're trying to do with the kids."
Lovelace quickly switched gears and the games were moved to a new location.
"Emotions are high tensions," Sargent said. "Things can happen beyond your control but the one thing you can control is how you react to them."
The games took place at a new location.
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