Boy, 10, dies after shooting at HS game in N.J.
A 10-year-old New Jersey boy who was shot at a high school football game last week died Wednesday, shortly before the game was resumed at the home field of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, where an announcer proclaimed that “acts of violence do not win.”
Micah Tennant was shot in the neck Friday during a playoff game between Pleasantville and Camden. He died Wednesday from his wounds, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner said.
Charges against the suspected gunman have been upgraded to murder. He also faces two counts of attempted murder and weapons charges.
“We would like to express our sincere condolences to the Tennant family on the tragic passing of Micah,” Tyner wrote in a news release posted on his office’s website. “Words at this time seem so insufficient to portray the anger and outrage that our community feels regarding his loss. However, his spirit will live on in so many people that he inspired.”
A 27-year-old man was shot Friday, and a 15-year-old boy was grazed. Six men have been charged, including the man shot. The game was stopped with about 17 minutes remaining Friday when gunshots rang out at the stadium in Pleasantville, near Atlantic City.
The game finished Wednesday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field, with Camden defeating Pleasantville 22-0.
A moment of silence was held for Tennant before the game, with the public address announcer saying “we join with Micah’s family to demonstrate that acts of violence do not win.”
The boy’s mother, Angela Tennant, eulogized him Tuesday in a Facebook post, using his nickname, “Dew.”
“[Shout out] to everyone giving Dew all this love!” she wrote. “Every day I talk in his ear and say, ‘Dew, you’re so loved and so famous.”’
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also mourned the boy’s death.
“No child deserves to have their promising life cut short, especially by indiscriminate and senseless gun violence,” the governor said. “No parent deserves to bury their child. We will hold Dew’s memory close, and we will remember his name, as we continue our work to make New Jersey safer for all of our families.”
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz discussed the shooting during a news conference a few hours before Wednesday’s game.
“Very tough situation. It’s a tragedy in itself,” Wentz said, according to WPVI-TV in Philadelphia. “It’s really unfortunate that happened in a public setting, the way it did at a football game. It’s Friday night lights. It’s something kids just dream about playing in. It’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life, playing Friday night lights.”
Eagles players and coaches posed for photos with the high school players before the game was resumed Wednesday afternoon in a largely empty stadium, as the game was closed to the general public.
“When a tragedy like that happens, it’s no fun. You hate to see it. You pray for the families and everyone involved,” Wentz said. “But it’s really cool to see the organization step out and reach out to try and make a difference. It might not undo what happened, but just try and bring some joy and get all those families to keep moving forward.”
As AC/DC’s “For Those About To Rock” blared from the stadium speakers, both teams sprinted onto the field through the same smoke-lined corridor that the Eagles players use to enter the field for NFL games.
Both teams gathered silently at midfield, shaking hands and standing silently as the 10-year-old Tennant was remembered.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.