Shooting outside Post Prom leaves students angry, scared

By Rachel McCormick

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 2:03 AM CDT

RACINE - Several students at Park High School were upset Monday because for the first time in their prom history someone was injured by gun violence.

Saturday night's shooting ended a 52-year trouble-free streak at Racine's Rotary Club Post Prom events. Students who used to feel comfortable attending prom are now skeptical about their safety, and are worried that prom events will never be the same.

Cece Miller, a 17-year-old junior at the high school, called the Rotary Post Prom shooting ridiculous and unnecessary.

"Things like this make you not want to go to events like prom. It ruined my experience on Saturday. I went home because it was too much for me. It ruined everything," said Miller, who was near the shooting in the spectator area.

Steven Turner, 21, was shot twice in the back after he went to pull his sister from a fight near the bleachers in the spectator area at the Rotary Post Prom Saturday in the Festival Hall parking lot, 5 5th St, around 11:48 p.m., police said.

Turner remained at St. Mary's Medical Center, but his condition was not life-threatening, but his condition is not life threatening, Racine Police Sgt. William Macemon said.

Police have no suspect in

custody and declined to comment further on the investigation. Macemon would neither confirm nor deny Turner's sister was there or involved in the incident.

Although this is the first year a gun has been fired at the prom event, students worried it would keep families and friends from participating next year.

There were nine off-duty police officers hired for security purposes for the prom event, said Greg Anderegg, Post Prom chairman. The Downtown Rotary pays roughly $1,000 for security, Anderegg said. Macemon said two officers were posted inside Festival Hall and six officers were outside for crowd control.

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