An Oklahoma community is in mourning after a horrific attack that left a star high school football player dead and his sisters wounded.
As KJRH and other outlets report, investigators were called to a home in Beggs, Okla., on Thursday morning following a reported shooting.
When deputies arrived, they found two teenagers suffering from gunshot wounds. They also found the body of 18-year-old Kayson Toliver.
Toliver was a senior and a star running back at Beggs High School. His sisters, a junior and a freshman at the school, were wounded in the shooting.
Officials with the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office told KJRH that the 16-year-old victim is in serious condition, while the 14-year-old victim is in good condition.
“In a small community, everyone knows the kids,” Beggs superintendent Bryan Terry told KJRH.
Toliver’s mother, Amy Hall, is accused in the shooting, per authorities. She has been arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of shooting with intent to kill.
On Friday night, members of the Beggs football team played a game against Sperry (Okla.) with heavy hearts as they remembered their slain teammate. As the Tulsa World reports, on Beggs’ first offensive possession, the quarterback stood behind the line of scrimmage with his hands on hips, watching the play clock tick down.
From the Tulsa World:
Ordinarily, No. 27, Kayson Toliver, would have been lined up in the backfield. But his spot was empty. Beggs had only 10 players on the field.
The stands fell silent. No clapping. No cow bells. No fight songs. Just hundreds of people waiting for a play not to happen.
The referee threw a flag. The Sperry coach, as planned well in advance, declined the penalty. And Beggs sent a backup running back onto the field.
The game went on without No. 27. But not without his absence being deeply felt on both sides of the stadium.
Toliver had run for 580 yards and five touchdowns during his senior season. As the World reported, the pregame was a memorial of sorts in Toliver’s memory, with the coin toss held at the 27-yard line instead of at midfield, flowers decorating the spot.
Sperry fans wore white T-shirts with golden No. 27s and gave a standing ovation as Beggs playerstook the field.
“We are deeply moved by the Sperry community,” Beggs Athletic Director Justin Been told the World, “and what they’re doing for us.”