In Wichita, Kansas, a youth football gathering at the Stryker Sports Complex turned into a tragedy on Saturday when a vehicle entered the playing-field area, killing two people and injuring 10 others. The dead were six-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both from McPherson, around an hour north of Wichita.
The news from the club
McPherson City FC, the youth club connected to the community of the victims, described the events as an unimaginable tragedy and asked for privacy and support for the families as they mourn.
Police said Adrian and Schafer were not related. Emergency crews were called at about 3:25pm after reports that several children and adults had been struck near the football fields.
The 34-year-old woman driving the vehicle was arrested at the scene on Saturday but has since been released without charges. Investigators are awaiting toxicology results and a mechanical inspection of the vehicle before determining what happened. The decision to release her was made following consultation with the Sedgwick County prosecutor’s office, while the inquiry remains active.
Among the 10 people injured were five children: girls aged five and nine, and boys aged five, five and eight. The other identified victims included women aged 28, 59 and 65, and men aged 32 and 68. Their injuries were traumatic but not considered life-threatening. Police also reported that a 61-year-old woman experienced medical complications unrelated to traumatic injuries.
Wichita police chief Joe Sullivan expressed sorrow that a day intended for families had ended in loss, saying investigators would continue to establish the full circumstances. Authorities are reviewing witness accounts alongside the toxicology and vehicle examinations, and have not set a timetable for the conclusion of the case or ruled out later legal action.
Sporting calendar put on hold
Stryker Sports Complex has cancelled all events until further notice as a precaution. The Kansas State High School Activities Association also called off the third-place game and final of its flag football competition that had been scheduled for the same Saturday.
