Little league football coach shot in post-game fight at Cardinal Ritter High School, team says

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — This story has been updated to include a statement issued by Cardinal Ritter High School.

The coach of a little league football team was one of two men shot Saturday night when a fight broke out after a game at Cardinal Ritter High School.

Parents of multiple team members confirmed to News 8’s Kyla Russell that Indy Firehawks coach Travon Smith was one of the men injured.

According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to Cardinal Ritter High School on Indy’s west side around 10:18 p.m. to investigate a “shots fired” and “person shot” incident.

There, they learned a fight broke out between parents of opposing teams after the youth football game wrapped up. At some point, someone fired a weapon, injuring Smith and one other man.

The men were both rushed to Eskenazi Hospital for treatment. As of Saturday night, the men were listed in stable and critical conditions, but police did not specify Smith’s condition.

The fight and shooting occurred on the outskirts of Ritter’s football field. No Ritter officials were involved.

Parents tell News 8 that Smith had been the coach of the traveling little league team for three years. His son also plays for the Firehawks.

The parents also say Smith has a daughter, and he and his wife are expecting their third child.

There were no updates to Smith’s condition as of Sunday afternoon. Police have not made any arrests.

Cardinal Ritter High School issued a statement Sunday on shooting. School officials say the youth football league using the field Saturday was not affiliated with the school and has had access permanently revoked.

Dear Cardinal Ritter Community,

With response to yesterday’s tragic event no Cardinal Ritter officials or students were involved in the incident that occurred last night at a youth football game on our campus. It is crucial to emphasize that this event was not affiliated with Cardinal Ritter High School in any capacity. The Youth League that used to our Field was immediately notified that access had been permanently revoked.

We take pride in serving our community and providing opportunities for others to use our facilities. However, the safety and well-being of our students and community members remain our highest priorities.

At Cardinal Ritter, we uphold our Franciscan values: Dignity of the Individual, Peace and Justice, Reconciliation, and Responsible Stewardship. We are committed to truth and transparency and do not wish to contribute to the spread of any rumors surrounding this incident.

To our Cardinal Ritter students, families, and community members, we offer our sincerest apologies for the distress this incident has caused. Please rest assured that swift and decisive action was taken immediately to address the situation.

School safety is always in the forefront of our minds. Our school has safety plans in place, and the overarching desire by everyone to continue to improve in any way we can to protect our students, faculty and staff.

Please keep in your prayers all affected by this senseless event.

God Bless

Cardinal Ritter High School

Anyone with information was asked to contact IMPD or Crime Stoppers.