Eden Prairie District Expands Perimeter Security After Homecoming Shooting
Following the Oct. 2 incident that wounded two teenagers in a parking lot, officials added metal detectors and increased police presence at recent games.
By Marco Whitaker ·
Six arrests have been made in connection with the Oct. 2 shooting outside the Eden Prairie stadium, a case that has prompted parents to demand expanded safety measures from local school leaders.
During the homecoming game, two individuals, ages 17 and 18, were shot and wounded in the parking lot. School officials stated that neither victim had a connection to the Eden Prairie school system. The incident occurred despite existing safety protocols that focused primarily on the interior of the stadium.
At a recent public meeting, parents expressed frustration regarding the scope of the previous security plan. Brenda, a parent of triplets at Eden Prairie High School, told officials, “I am not shocked, I am angry.” Another parent asked why the safety plan was not extended to the perimeter to include the parking lot rather than just the interior of the stadium.
District officials responded by detailing immediate changes implemented for subsequent football games. The district added metal detectors and bag checks at entry points. Police and private security personnel are now present in larger numbers. Jason Mutzenberger, the district’s Director of Business Services, explained that the district is still researching whether to use metal detectors for daily classroom instruction. “We’re using them at football games, but we don’t have them anywhere else at this point. We’re not at a point where we’re ready to say to put them in place for daily use. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to in the future, we continue to research that,” he said.
Tang Lee, the emergency management coordinator for Eden Prairie Schools, noted that district employees completed an after-action review to determine what worked and what failed during the Oct. 2 event. Lee told parents, “We want to build castles, not prisons.” The district is currently soliciting feedback from parents to inform future security steps.
Officials reported that the district maintains 1,000 security cameras inside and outside school buildings. Exterior doors have reinforced locks, and front lobby entries require visitors to be buzzed in. Dr. Jaysen Anderson, the principal of Eden Prairie High School, acknowledged the emotional impact of the event. “That is a nightmare scenario. It happened and then the response. It’s traumatic to all of us and I still feel tremendous sadness that all of us had to experience that, your kids, yourselves,” Anderson told the crowd.
Ramped-up security protocols are expected to remain in place for the football team’s final home game on Friday.
