Move made in response to shooting in Newburgh

The Beacon school district said this week it will make “security enhancements,” including handheld metal detectors, at its evening football and soccer games following a shooting after a high school game in Newburgh.

In addition, the contents of bags and backpacks will be inspected, games will have a single point of entry and no spectator who leaves will be allowed to return.

The measures will be in effect for the varsity football games tonight (Oct. 7) and Oct. 21 and boys’ soccer games on Oct. 12 and Oct. 18, said Superintendent Matt Landahl in a statement.

“Having these evening events is very important to us and we love providing our students and the community a place to cheer on our student-athletes and also hang out with each other,” he said. “These changes are not in response to any specific Beacon-related concern but instead are an attempt to be proactive.”

The changes come in the wake of a shooting after a Newburgh Free Academy game on Sept. 30 that left three adults with injuries. Police said shots were fired at about 9:35 p.m. during a fight near the north parking lots as the crowd left the game. The victims were all Newburgh residents but not students; they were shot in the thigh, foot and ankle. No arrests have been made.

The Newburgh district said this week it will move its remaining Friday night games to the daytime on weekends. The district already has metal detectors in place and security guards who inspect bags at night games and said it will add lighting and cameras. It also canceled or moved home games for all sports scheduled through Oct. 13.

In his statement, Landahl also alluded to a stabbing after a football game in September 2021 at Arlington High School that killed a 16-year-old student.

Behind The Story

Type: News

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

A former longtime national magazine editor, Rowe has worked at newspapers in Michigan, Idaho and South Dakota and has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Northwestern University. Location: Philipstown. Languages: English. Area of Expertise: General.