Waukegan High School moves Friday night football game over safety concerns after 2 recent shootings

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WLS) -- Waukegan High School moved its Friday night football game to a different location over safety concerns, the school said.

In a Facebook post, the school said the game originally scheduled from 7 p.m. at Weiss Field was moved to Round Lake High School as a precaution, "in response to an increase in violent events in the community" recently.

"It sucks for the people that are on Waukegan, that have to come over here, that were expecting it. Because I know these game, especially senior nights, it's a huge deal," said attendee Vina DeJesus.

"I think, in terms of safety, it's a bigger, kind of, campus here. I been here a few times to watch my nephews play," said game attendee Jennilee Milan. "I know they do, like, security well. They block off a lot of the exits and I feel like the Waukegan field is pretty open, so I can understand that."

There were two shootings this week in Waukegan. Police there said Monday around 11:40 a.m., officers responded to reports of a shootout between two cars in the 0-100 block of North McAree Road. When they got to the scene, police found two crashed cars but no occupants.

Police said a 22-year-old man suffered a gunshot graze wound to the head. A gun and shell casings of different calibers were also found at the scene.

Then on Wednesday, around 6:15 p.m., Waukegan police were called to a reported shooting at the Citgo gas station at 1005 Golf Road. They found two women shot, who were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Police did not give a condition, though they said both women were injured badly enough to require surgery.

Police said they found shell casings of different calibers at the gas station, leading them to believe there was an exchange of gunfire between multiple people. Police said a nearby home and a car parked on the street were also damaged by gunfire.

Both incidents remain under investigation, police said, and no arrests have been made. Police do not believe the two incidents are connected.

Waukegan High School said the freshman football game scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday morning will continue at Weiss Field as planned.