Police: 2 hurt in shooting after football game

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Two juveniles are recovering from gunshot wounds after being shot outside a high school football game at Lakewood Stadium in southeast Atlanta Saturday night. 

UPDATED: Police release names of children shot Saturday at football game in Atlanta

Hundreds of teenagers were leaving the football at game Lakewood Stadium when a fight escalated into gunfire.

"At some point, a gun was pulled out and shots were fired. Two individuals were struck. They happened to be juveniles," Atlanta Police Department Major David Villaroel said.

Police said the shooting victims are 12- and 16-years-old. 

Paramedics rushed the 12-year-old to Grady Memorial. At one point he was in critical condition but has been upgraded to stable. The 16-year-old arrived at the hospital in a private car. He was treated and released.

"One of the juveniles was struck in the upper torso," Villaroel said. "The other one was struck in the lower extremities."

TJ Hardaway lives on Claire Drive. He said about 12 shots were fired out of nowhere, forcing him and his roommate to hit the deck inside their home.

Police are now trying to track down the shooter, looking at ballistics and any other evidence for anything that can identify the suspects. Investigators said it's too early to know if the victims were involved in the fight or just innocent bystanders.

Police say they want to stop this from happening again in a space filled with so many young people enjoying a night out. Atlanta Public Schools Police Chief Ron Applin told FOX 5 his department has safety and security procedures in place for all public events, like football games. While the shooting didn't happen on school district property, his department is working closely with Atlanta Police to track down the gunman. 

Chief Applin called the shooting a tough, difficult situation and encourages anyone who was at the game or in the area at the time to come forward.

If you have any information that could help, please call the Atlanta Police Department or Crime Stoppers.