Minden High School implementing new rules after gun threat at football scrimmage

MINDEN, La. (KSLA) - Minden High School has released a list of rules that people will have to follow before entering the football stadium to attend games.

This comes after threats of a gun at a football scrimmage on Friday, Aug. 19 caused panic. The stadium had to be emptied and the game was inevitably canceled.

Parents in the area have started an effort called “Our Minden” to keep children and the community safe.

“Our group of parent volunteers has come together and rallied around this catalytic moment in our city to realize some things needed to take place and that we need parent volunteers and community volunteers to stand up and be a light in some darkness,” said Jeff Rhodes, group leader.

Rhodes says Webster Parish school officials were already on top of making a list of prohibited items for games, and a list of rules that attendees must follow.

“We understand that some things going on in the community are seeping into the school and we wanted to know what the school was doing to protect students,” he said. “We are very pleased to hear that the school had already been taking action.”

List of prohibited items:

No outside food or drink
No ice chests or coolers
No umbrellas
No laser pointers/lights
No oversized bags, backpacks or non-clear bags
No pets or animals (except service animals)
No weapons, including pocket knives or pocket tools (Swiss Army Knives, etc.)

Allowed items:

Clear toe bags, no larger than 12″x6″x12″
Clear and non-clear handheld clutches/wristlets measuring smaller than 4.5″ x 6.5″
Medical items
Seat cushions

Rules for attendees:

WPSB “Clear Bag” Policy is in effect for all athletic venues and is designed to speed up gate entries and enhance fan safety.
All bags are subject to search.
Metal detectors will be in use.
Fans cannot store prohibited bags and items near stadium entrances. All unattended items will be removed and discarded.
No re-entry. Anyone leaving the stadium must have a new, unused tickets to re-enter.
Smoking and use of all tobacco products (cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco, etc.) is prohibited on all WPSB property.

KSLA reached out to Minden High School for comment, but has not received a response.

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