Shot While Working a Utica Football Game, Security Guard Speaks Out

The Proctor High School security officer who was shot in the head at a high school football game on September 9th, was speaking about the horrible experience on Keeler Wednesday morning.

Jeff Lynch said he was in a defensive protocol as he and other security members were trying to de-escalate a fight after the Proctor - Binghamton football game last Saturday, when all of a sudden he felt a burning sensation in the back of his head. He said he had no idea it was a gunshot until he was riding in the ambulance to the hospital when he overheard the paramedics.

"I was shot," he asked the medics. That's when they confirmed it and it's when he finally knew that his injury was extremely serious.

Lynch said after he felt the burn in his neck, his vision started to blur and he fell to the ground, hitting his head hard on the concrete. He said a fellow officer told him to stay steady, and that an ambulance was on the way.

Local businessman Howard Potter of A&P Master Images came into the studio with Lynch. The two have been friends for years, and Potter has been urging that the city, county, and school district work together to implement changes to make sure schools remain safe and implement new measures to prevent an incident like this from happening again.

Lynch said that this bullet that entered the back of his head and exited without causing fatal damage will hopefully be used as a teaching moment and an eye-opener for students and adults moving forward. He hopes that a dialogue is created because of what happened that might save some of these young juveniles from continuing down a path of violence and destruction.

Lynch said he was relieved to learn that the 16-year-old who shot him wasn't targeting him specifically. Instead, it's believed the young male simply pointed the gun into a crowd and fired twice, one of the bullets struck Lynch, and one missed everyone. "This could have resulted in a much worse outcome," he said. He added that he was sad for his family and friends because of the emotional trauma they experienced after finding out he'd been shot.

School Districts, Oneida County, the City of Utica, and other government officials are planning a special meeting to discuss school violence and come up with additional ways to prevent an incident like this from happening again.

Listen to the complete interview with Jeff Lynch and Howard Potter below via the Keeler Show's YouTube feed.