Questions remain after shooting at Richfield High School football game injures two

State and community leaders responded to the shooting at a Richfield High School football game with calls for unity and action against gun violence.

Friday's shooting, which injured an 18- and 21-year-old, sent players and visitors scattering from the homecoming game that was taking place.

Richfield Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez published a statement about the incident on Saturday, saying the city's public school system will have counselors and social workers on-site this coming week for students who need support.

"Our families, children and community are shaken by this tragic and senseless act of violence," Regan Gonzalez said in the statement. "There are supports and resources available to our community members. Please make sure you are checking in with your loved one right now."

Richfield police were not available for updates or comment at the time of this article. In a Facebook post, Richfield High School Principal Stacy Theien-Collins said she was heartbroken by the shooting — and announced that all weekend activities, including the school's homecoming dance, were canceled to give people time to heal.

According to a Richfield Police Department news release, the shooting happened at around 8:45 p.m. near the football game's northeast entrance. A school official had just turned away a group of people there, but they told an officer on site that the group gathered nearby and appeared to be waiting for the game to end. That's when two shots — the sounds captured on a live-streamed video — rang out.

Players, parents and attendees began running for cover, and the injured 18- and 21-year-old were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No suspect has been identified or located.

"I am heartsick about the shooting last night in Richfield. Our community is rallying together but this pit in our stomach shouldn't feel so familiar," tweeted state Rep. Michael Howard, whose district represents Richfield, Bloomington and some parts of Edina. "We cannot accept a future where gun violence continues to inflict so much trauma."

Friday's shooting was the second this year involving Richfield schools.

A disagreement among students on Jan. 28 led to the shooting outside Richfield's South Education Center, killing 15-year-old Jamari Rice. Another student was taken to the hospital in critical condition, a third suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

Two suspects were arrested. All five attended South Education Center and "are acquaintances," Richfield Police Chief Jay Henthorne said at the time.