LIVE IN FORT MYERS, MADISON ADAMS, GULF COAST NEWS. >> CHAOS ON THE FIELD. BREAKING NEWS, A COACH FOR THE WINSTON-SALEM YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAM WAS SHOT DURING A GAME IN COLLIER COUNTY. RIGHT NOW. WE KNOW 43 YEAR-OLD JAMES REYNARD WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. HIS TEAM, THE SOUTHFORK PANTHERS. WE’RE COMPETING AT THE PARADISE SPORTS COMPLEX IN COLLIER COUNTY FOR THE AMERICAN YOUTH FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. GULF COAST NEWS REPORTER JALEN BARRON IS LIVE AT THE SCENE WHERE ONE MAN WAS JUST ARRESTED. >> YES, PETER, JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO, THIS PARKING LOT BEHIND ME WAS A FULL ON CRIME SCENE. CRIME SCENE. EXCUSE ME. THE WINSTON SALEM FOOTBALL TEAM FINISHED A GAME HERE AT PARADISE. COAST SPORTS COMPLEX AND PEOPLE WATCH THEIR COACH GET SHOT IN THE NECK. VIDEO FROM THE PARKING LOT SHOWS INVESTIGATORS TAKING PHOTOS OF THE CRIME SCENE AS WELL AS THE TEAM’S VAN. NOW THE PARENTS OF THE PLAYERS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA BASE TEAM WERE LEFT SITTING ON THE SIDE WAITING FOR THE CAUTION TAPE TO FINALLY BE TAKEN DOWN. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THE VICTIM, JAMES RENARD AND THE SUSPECT WILLIAM WARREN ARE BOTH FROM WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA. THE VIDEO TOO GRAPHIC TO AIR FROM THE SHOOTING THIS MORNING HAS BEEN CIRCULATING ON FACEBOOK AND ONE MOM FROM ARIZONA TELLS ME HER SON IS PLAYING IN THE TOURNAMENT AND IT IS SAD THAT THIS SITUATION HAS TAKEN OVER THE SUCCESSES AND HARD WORK OF THE KIDS PARTICIPATING. THIS NATIONAL TOURNAMENT HAS BROUGHT SO MANY TEAMS TO COLLIER COUNTY AND PARENTS FROM THE WINSTON SALEM FOOTBALL TEAM DID NOT EXPECT THEIR TRIP TO TAKE A TURN FOR THE WORSE. NOW, I JUST HEARD FROM CCSO AND THEY DO NOT HAVE AN UPDATE ON RENNARD’S CONDITION COUNT ON GULF COAST NEWS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT WE’RE IN IS MOTIVE WAS AND IF THE TEAM WILL CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TOURNAMENT LI
Gunfire at Youth Football Nationals: Witness describes panic, parents shielding children
Updated: 10:58 PM EST Dec 12, 2025
A shooting in the parking lot of the Paradise Sports Complex in Collier County interrupted the American Youth Football National Championships on Friday morning, leading to a significant law enforcement response.One person is in custody and another was taken to the hospital. The condition of the victim remains unknown, as the sheriff’s office has yet to provide an update.According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting was reported at 10:30 a.m. Deputies responded to the scene and quickly took a suspect into custody. CCSO deputies identified the victim as James Raynard, 43, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Raynard is a youth football coach.William Wharton, 38, also of Winston-Salem, is facing an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge in connection with the shooting at this time, according to the CCSO.Deputies remain on the scene to process evidence and interview witnesses.Football games continued on Friday evening.Alan Popadines, the national scouting director for Prep Redzone Next, has been attending the championships for four years to recruit young football players.He said he heard gunshots around 8 a.m.”I got a 7-year-old, a 5-year-old at home. They play sports, I love sports, it’s my profession. And like, I think this is what it is like. Come on, man, we’re down here for fun. We’re down here for sports, are down here for life lessons, not down here for losing lives,” Popadines said. Popadines noted the heightened security presence at the event, describing it as “10 times more than any other youth football event.””I cannot stress enough, like, these people, if the complex itself, they could not have done more, there could not have been more security, like, every bag got screened, every people got wanded. If someone walked through who didn’t have a wristband that wasn’t supposed to be with the team, they were stopped at the gates and turned around or told to go to the main gate,” Popadines said. Despite this, he recounted the chaos that ensued after the gunshots, with people urging, “get the babies off, get the babies off the field, protect the kids,” as young players, some as young as 6, 7, and 8 years old, ran for safety. Popadines said the shooting happened in the parking lot outside the security gates that everyone has to enter to get on the nine playing fields.Popadines said he witnessed parents taking drastic measures to protect their children.”I see a bunch of kids running or running into in from the parking lot, into the facility, you know, through security, then I see parents very quickly rushing up behind the kids, telling them to move or to get behind, and almost like throwing the tables at the security, I would even say as protection,” Popadines said. He also witnessed parents taking drastic measures to protect their children, saying, “I saw several parents come through and again, literally throwing the tables behind them, the security tables, I don’t know, I would even say as protection.”Popadines described the scene following the shooting, saying, “I saw countless police cars, ambulance, fire truck, police helicopter overhead. Today and tomorrow were some of the championship games for some of the age groups.”This is a developing story and will be updated.Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that Paradise Sports Complex is in Golden Gate Estates. It is in unincorporated Collier County.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.
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. —
A shooting in the parking lot of the Paradise Sports Complex in Collier County interrupted the American Youth Football National Championships on Friday morning, leading to a significant law enforcement response.
One person is in custody and another was taken to the hospital. The condition of the victim remains unknown, as the sheriff’s office has yet to provide an update.
According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting was reported at 10:30 a.m. Deputies responded to the scene and quickly took a suspect into custody.
CCSO deputies identified the victim as James Raynard, 43, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Raynard is a youth football coach.
William Wharton, 38, also of Winston-Salem, is facing an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge in connection with the shooting at this time, according to the CCSO.
Deputies remain on the scene to process evidence and interview witnesses.
Football games continued on Friday evening.
Alan Popadines, the national scouting director for Prep Redzone Next, has been attending the championships for four years to recruit young football players.
He said he heard gunshots around 8 a.m.
“I got a 7-year-old, a 5-year-old at home. They play sports, I love sports, it’s my profession. And like, I think this is what it is like. Come on, man, we’re down here for fun. We’re down here for sports, are down here for life lessons, not down here for losing lives,” Popadines said.
Popadines noted the heightened security presence at the event, describing it as “10 times more than any other youth football event.”
“I cannot stress enough, like, these people, if the complex itself, they could not have done more, there could not have been more security, like, every bag got screened, every people got wanded. If someone walked through who didn’t have a wristband that wasn’t supposed to be with the team, they were stopped at the gates and turned around or told to go to the main gate,” Popadines said.
Despite this, he recounted the chaos that ensued after the gunshots, with people urging, “get the babies off, get the babies off the field, protect the kids,” as young players, some as young as 6, 7, and 8 years old, ran for safety.
Popadines said the shooting happened in the parking lot outside the security gates that everyone has to enter to get on the nine playing fields.
Popadines said he witnessed parents taking drastic measures to protect their children.
“I see a bunch of kids running or running into in from the parking lot, into the facility, you know, through security, then I see parents very quickly rushing up behind the kids, telling them to move or to get behind, and almost like throwing the tables at the security, I would even say as protection,” Popadines said.
He also witnessed parents taking drastic measures to protect their children, saying, “I saw several parents come through and again, literally throwing the tables behind them, the security tables, I don’t know, I would even say as protection.”
Popadines described the scene following the shooting, saying, “I saw countless police cars, ambulance, fire truck, police helicopter overhead. Today and tomorrow were some of the championship games for some of the age groups.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that Paradise Sports Complex is in Golden Gate Estates. It is in unincorporated Collier County.
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.