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Quiet Night at Simeon; Public Barred from Basketball Game

By  Alex Parker Darryl Holliday and Mark Konkol | January 18, 2013 8:44pm 

 Officials kept the public out of Friday's basketball game at Simeon High School, following the shooting death of a Morgan Park High student after a game two days earlier.
Officials kept the public out of Friday's basketball game at Simeon High School, following the shooting death of a Morgan Park High student after a game two days earlier.
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Flickr/Zol87

CHICAGO — Two days after a man was shot and killed after a Simeon High School basketball game, a subdued atmosphere hung over the school as the city’s top-ranked basketball team took on Julian High School Friday night.

Rather than celebrating Simeon’s Wednesday night victory over rival Morgan Park High, about 100 people gathered to watch Simeon prevail in Friday night's game against Julian.

Friday night’s game at Simeon was closed to the public, including media. Only students, staff and families of players were allowed into the school gym, per a directive from Simeon’s principal, a Chicago Public Schools spokesperson said. The spokesperson said principals have the authority to keep anyone off school property.

When reached by phone, Simeon principal Sheldon House declined to comment and hung up on a reporter.

Robert Fairbanks, who said he is a friend of Simeon star Jabari Parker’s family, attended the game, which he called “a nice, private, intimate affair.”

"I don’t think it's any safer, but I never felt unsafe to begin with," Fairbanks, a University of Chicago professor, said.

Following the melee after Wednesday night’s game, which was played at Chicago State University, Chicago Public Schools suspended two players. Per district policy, the players were not named.

Two suspects were detained by police after the shooting that killed 17-year-old Tyrone Lawson. Chicago State officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment.