New police report sheds light on Mariner High School football lock-in that led to staff changes

A Cape Coral police report Gulf Coast News obtained on Thursday says no charges will be filed at this time after an investigation into an incident involving students connected to the Mariner High School football team, concluding that what began as horseplay was not intended as a targeted attack. The Cape Coral Police Department began looking into the incident after a concerned parent went to police after business hours on July 27 to make a report, according to an incident report. A school resource officer was notified the following morning about the incident, which police said had occurred over the weekend. School resource officers and administrators reviewed security-camera footage and narrowed down which students had been involved, according to the report. Officers then interviewed multiple students who appeared on hallway cameras carrying water bottles or who were friends of those involved. The report indicates that parents raised concerns about what they described as a lack of security or chaperones during the event. Police told administrators and parents that law enforcement should be contacted immediately when serious allegations arise, noting that officers were brought into the matter at what the report described as a late stage of the investigation. At least some parents subsequently removed their children from Mariner High School, according to the report. School administrators were continuing a separate investigation into possible violations of school policy. After interviewing multiple witnesses and two students identified in the report as victims, the investigating officer said police found no evidence that anyone intended to cause harm and no indication that the incident was a targeted attack against the boys. Police instead described the incident as a horseplay game intended to be fun that ultimately left several people upset. The students involved were expected to continue to be monitored for any additional problems. No charges will be brought unless new evidence is discovered, according to the report. Police said parents of the students who were interviewed were contacted and informed about their children's interactions with officers. Body-camera footage is available of the interviews. The police report is heavily redacted, including portions describing the underlying allegations and identities of the juveniles involved. Six coaches from Mariner High School's football team in Cape Coral, including head coach Tyran Jones, have been removed following the lock-in incident. The school district has stated that it is still investigating the incident and has not released Jones' personnel file at this time. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.