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.
Camden won the game 22-0 in a virtually empty stadium. The public was not permitted to attend, and only guests of the two teams were allowed inside.
“We would like to express our sincere condolences to the Tennant family on the tragic passing of Micah,” the prosecutor wrote in a news release posted on his office’s web site. “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 between Pleasantville High School and Camden High was played at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles offered up their stadium to play out the remaining 17 minutes.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy mourned the boy’s death.
“No child deserves to have their promising life cut short, especially by indiscriminate and senseless gun violence,” the Democratic 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 players and coaches posed for photos with the high school players before the game was resumed. 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 was memorialized.
“We join with Micah’s family to demonstrate that acts of violence do not win,” the stadium’s public address announcer said.
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This story has been corrected to show that Micah’s mother made her online post on Tuesday, not Wednesday.
