On Tuesday night, a significant amount of sports equipment was stolen during an alumni event at the old Stoneham High School in Massachusetts. The stolen items included football helmets worth $400 each, as well as field hockey and football jerseys and practice shorts. This affected a total of 10 fall sports teams that lost equipment during the event.

The theft occurred at an “Alumni Walkthrough” event, which had around 350 to 400 individuals present in the building. Despite rooms being locked, the Athletic Training Room contained an unlocked back door which allowed access to the stolen equipment. Superintendent David Ljungberg stated that the school system is working closely with law enforcement to recover the stolen equipment and ensure that teams have access to their gear for the upcoming fall season.

In response to the theft, the Stoneham Athletics Department posted a plea for assistance to retrieve the stolen equipment, expressing concerns that the sports seasons could be jeopardized without the necessary gear. The department urged the perpetrators to return the stolen items promptly, emphasizing the financial strain of replacing the equipment and the impact it could have on upcoming seasons.

Neal J. Riley, a digital producer for CBS Boston, contributed to this story. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014 and has previously had his work featured in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.