Four people from Tulsa and Union Public Schools — including two students and a staff member and a former coach — died in a crash over the weekend in Kansas a staff member who worked in the transportation department a former Carver Middle School coach and teacher Gilstrap was driving the vehicle carrying the Tulsa and Union victims southbound on U.S Highway 169 when he attempted to pass a slower-moving vehicle by entering the northbound lanes A northbound vehicle swerved toward the shoulder to avoid a collision but the two vehicles ultimately crashed head-on on the northbound shoulder four other people died in the two-car collision and a fifth was transported to a nearby hospital Ebony Johnson said that the district is praying for the families of those lost Union Public Schools confirmed that one of its students died in the crash as well but that student has not been publicly identified "I've taught a number of students who've moved on to D1 and that is they work as hard at the academics as they do at their sport," said Horton the students were returning home from a youth basketball tournament when the crash happened Grief counselors are available for students and staff Kaitlyn Deggs came to Tulsa after graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Broadcast Journalism Kaitlyn Deggs started as a Multimedia Journalist for News On 6 in January 2022 Brooke Cox is a Digital Producer at News On 6 where she has been part of the team since August 2024 \"I've taught a number of students who've moved on to D1 and that is they work as hard at the academics as they do at their sport,\" said Horton and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox — A Chevrolet Yukon tried to pass a vehicle Sunday on southbound US 169 Highway drove into the northbound lane and slammed head-on into a vehicle as both tried to avoid the other The crash killed eight people and critically injured one according to a Kansas Highway Patrol crash log The 2016 GMC Yukon was driven by Jamison Gilstrap The report states he was wearing a seat belt Other victims in the Chevrolet Yukon that were killed in the crash were identified in the patrol's report as 14-year-old Kyron Gilstrap of Tulsa Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) confirmed one student attended Booker T. Washington High School Melissa Woolridge identified the student as Donald “DJ” Laster in a letter sent to Hornet families “This accident also touched our community in a number of additional ways as it claimed lives of others known to our students and team members from middle school and as beloved members of our extended family across Tulsa,” Woolridge wrote “It is difficult for all of us to face the death of a child or trusted adult.” Woolridge said resources will be available from the district's Student and Family Support Services “We know you join us in extending our heartfelt sympathy to all of those who have been impacted,” Woolridge said suffered minor injuries and taken to Overland Park Regional Medical Center A fourth passenger in the Subaru also died All occupants of the Subaru were wearing their seat belts Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) confirmed one student attended Booker T. Washington High School. Booker T. Washington Principal Dr. Melissa Woolridge identified the student as Donald “DJ” Laster in a letter sent to Hornet families. “This accident also touched our community in a number of additional ways, as it claimed lives of others known to our students and team members from middle school, as basketball teammates, and as beloved members of our extended family across Tulsa,” Woolridge wrote. “It is difficult for all of us to face the death of a child or trusted adult.” Woolridge said resources will be available from the district's Student and Family Support Services. COPES, a community crisis response unit in Tulsa, is also available 24/7 at 918-744-4800. “We know you join us in extending our heartfelt sympathy to all of those who have been impacted,” Woolridge said. One of DJ's teachers at Booker T. Washington, Ron Horton, said DJ was "something special." He shared memories of his time with DJ in a video message. TPS also shared Ja'mon Gilstrap, a member of the district's transportation team, and Wayne Walls, a former Carver Middle School teacher and coach, died in the crash. Dr. Ebony Johnson, TPS superintendent, said "many branches" of the district were in mourning Monday. "Our community lost friends, brothers, sons and fathers," Johnson said. "I am heartbroken for those who lost loved ones and committed to honoring the immense collective impact each of these people had in Tulsa and in the lives of our young people." DJ, Gilstrap and Walls were part of a competitive travel basketball team, the Oklahoma Chaos. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Oklahoma Chaos (@chaosoklahoma2028) Washington and Carver Middle School — Kevin D Rickey Washington and Eli Brown — said they viewed the three as teammates and "valued members of our community." "We have been through the ups and downs of competitive sports together and we saw them achieve great successes while also investing in others’ growth," the trio wrote "Coach Wayne Walls inspired a generation of young people in Tulsa and coaching talents to serve countless students and families and had a vibrant presence in our buildings and schools served as the principal at Carver Middle School when DJ was a student and Walls was a teacher He said it was clear Walls cared for his students as "students athletes and young people." Skyes said he'll remember DJ as a student who "had the potential to do whatever he wanted to do and two good people are gone way too young," Skyes said Walls was a coach and paraprofessional with Bartlesville Public Schools District officials said students and staff will have access to counseling resources as the community processes his loss A note addressing available resources was also sent to Carver Middle School families RELATED | Franklin County, Kansas, residents react to fatal crash The second high school student identified in the crash attended Union High School Freshman Academy. Union Public Schools Superintendent Dr. John Federline shared a statement on the loss of Kyrin Schumpert. “It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I share the news of the tragic passing of one of our 9th grade students who died in a car accident yesterday. On behalf of the entire Union Public Schools community, I extend our deepest condolences to the student’s family, friends, and loved ones,” Federline wrote. He said the district’s crisis response team has been activated to provide counseling at the freshman academy as well as across the district. “Licensed counselors, school psychologists, and support staff are available to meet with anyone who may need help processing this tragedy,” Federline said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the student’s family, and everyone affected by this tragic event.” Kyrin and DJ were teammates on the Oklahoma Chaos. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Oklahoma Chaos (@chaosoklahoma2028) Kansas Highway Patrol and several other nearby agencies responded to the crash Report a typo OKLA (KTUL) — The Tulsa community is mourning the loss of two Tulsa students and two travel basketball coaches This comes after they had a head-on collision in Kansas just starting to experience things but this one is more of hitting home this is their teammate their coaches they dealt with and there are no words to comfort them because its unexpected," Brooklyn church and was focused on school and sports DJ he was just an amazing kid like just the brightest smile always happy to see any and everybody," she said "and hope others will continue to come alongside our students Tulsa Public Schools Coaches and Educators at Booker T Washington High School and Carver Middle School released the following statement: Union Public Schools confirmed a student died as well Mayor Monroe Nichols has also released a statement following the incident: There's no word yet on funerals or memorial services TPS said grief counselors are at Carver Middle School Jaimon Gilstrap (Kyrin's dad and TPS transportation member) SIGN UP FOR THE CHANNEL 8 NEWSLETTER OKLA (KTUL) — The Tulsa Police Department (TPD) engaged in an officer-involved shooting near 2nd Street and Elgin Avenue at approximately 12:30 a.m officers were in the area of a large gathering where a fight erupted a witness reported multiple gunshots being fired into the crowd One individual firing shots was recognized as an ongoing threat by TPD The officers pursued him as he fled with a semi-automatic pistol in his hand an officer discharged their weapon and struck the individual Aid was administered to the individual while gunshots continued in the crowd An officer from a different vantage point identified the shooter who discharged their weapon The second individual shot by an officer was pronounced deceased at least five individuals have been shot by multiple suspects' gunfire The victims were transported to the hospital but no deaths from the suspects' gunshots have been reported and TPD suspects there may be additional victims The Officers involved in the shootings have been placed on administrative leave The Blue Dome District at Second Street and Elgin Avenue on Monday A tattered Tulsa flag hangs on a flagpole at Red's Bar in the Blue Dome District at Second Street and Elgin Avenue Email notifications are only sent once a day Tulsa police shot two people — one fatally — and at least four other people were injured following a crowd fight in which multiple people fired guns early Sunday downtown a large crowd that was gathered in the area of 2nd Street and Elgin Avenue “began to turn volatile,” Tulsa police said in a social media post Although several officers were already on the scene a call was made for additional officers to assist and multiple people began firing shots both into and out of the crowd “One individual was observed by officers firing shots into the crowd while standing among others officers pursued him as he fled with a semi-automatic pistol in his hand,” the post said A window is boarded up at Dilly Diner after a shooting early Sunday in the Blue Dome District at Second Street and Elgin Avenue on Monday “While officers were administering first aid to the injured suspect gunfire continued in the crowd of people,” TPD said “Unbeknownst to the officers managing the first shooting incident another individual with a semi-automatic pistol was positioned behind them An officer from a different vantage point identified him as a continuing threat and discharged their weapon “As of this report (posted about 12:20 p.m at least five individuals have been shot by multiple suspects’ gunfire,” the department said in the post “The victims were transported to the hospital with varying degrees of injuries but none are reported to have died at this time “We suspect there may be additional victims and a more detailed account will be available as the investigation progresses TPD’s crime scene unit recovered multiple firearms “Gunfire from the suspects struck several buildings and our team is currently working with business owners who discovered damage to their properties overnight.” Officers involved in the shootings have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with TPD standard procedure All evidence will be submitted to the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office which will review the officers’ actions as part of the investigation The post did not indicate the estimated size of the crowd The Blue Dome District at 2nd Street and Elgin Avenue has several bars and restaurants; Tulsa’s city hall building is located about two blocks west Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols on Sunday night issued a statement: “Last night was a senseless act of violence in our community and my thoughts are with everyone involved and my office has been in constant contact with the Tulsa Police Department it appears this was an isolated incident involving two groups “We have the best detectives in the country who will ensure all involved are held accountable and we will be sharing more information as the investigation develops “I want all Tulsans to know we will ensure downtown is safe The days that a small few threaten the safety of the great many are over.” Police asked any witness or victims involved to call 918-596-9222 “so we can get a statement from you,” the post said Check back at tulsaworld.com as more information becomes available Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter Ninth-graders from Union and TPS identified as victims in Kansas City-area crash Officers were dispatched to a reported stabbing around 4 p.m in an area near Mingo Road and Admiral Place according to a release from the Tu… A win for the nation’s first-ever religious charter school in Oklahoma would represent “the most radical change to religious freedom under the… The Bartlesville landmark was set to be sold Tuesday as part of a bankruptcy auction Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Tulsa police are investigating a deadly stabbing that they say stemmed from a road rage incident A man and woman were both injured in the confrontation Tulsa Police identified her as Miashah Moses Saturday near East Admiral and South Garnett a man told police he was being tailgated by a woman (Moses) in a red car Police say he tried to get away from Moses by driving through his neighborhood but later saw her parked near his home and confronted her Police say Moses pulled a steel rod from a car jack and struck him several times and damaged his vehicle The man told officers he warned Moses to stop police say he pulled out a knife and slashed her in the abdomen Both individuals were taken to the hospital for treatment The man was treated for head and arm injuries and then interviewed by detectives Detectives say two witnesses were also interviewed no arrests have been made and police say the investigation is ongoing TPD shared online that the man claims self-defense all evidentiary details and investigative findings will be submitted to the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office The DA’s Office will carefully review the information to determine if charges are warranted." The DA’s Office will carefully review the information to determine if charges are warranted.\" and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox — One person is dead and six others are injured after a shooting in a crowd in downtown Tulsa Tulsa police said a large event near 2nd and Elgin turned volatile and chaotic around 12:30 AM on May 4 and a call was made for additional officers to assist someone in the crowd fired shots. Police said one person was seen firing shots into the crowd An officer pursued the shooter as they ran away and fired at him during the chase The shooter was hit by the officer's bullet police said another officer identified another shooter Tulsa Police identified him as 21-year-old Thurman Wilson five people have been injured by the two shooters The two officers who fired at the shooters have been placed on administrative leave Initial searches found guns abandoned in the parking lot and bullet casings Police believe there may be additional victims They are asking anyone injured in the shooting to contact them Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols and Police Chief Dennis Larsen held a press conference to discuss the shooting and safety downtown "It's heartbreaking to see young lives impacted by violence," said Larsen "I'm deeply concerned that we have young individuals who are willing to engage in a gunfight in the presence of a large number of innocent people with police officers literally standing feet away." Larsen told us it was an argument that led to the two people opening fire an argument that has roots in a 2022 homicide We asked the police chief to elaborate on that When 2 News asked him how this could have been prevented how we address issues around community violence "How are we working with young people in communities that don't lead them down a path where things like this end up happening?" he added I don't mean like this event there's something we could have done this weekend necessarily," he emphasized "I think it's a broader conversation about the conditions of young people in this community.” "But what leads to young people to decide that guns are the way to solve a dispute?" the mayor added "I think that is wherein lies what is preventable.” 2 News went downtown and spoke with Reace Wright I couldn't tell if it was a car backfiring or something," said Wright Wendy Thomas is a big fan of the Blue Dome District and was surprised to hear what happened and so it surprises me to hear that there was that kind of chaos last night," said Thomas The violence landed on the doorstep of Preston Oberlender “I was walking back to my apartment when I saw a huge crime scene with tons of cop cars and crime tape.” From his balcony on the corner of 2nd and Elgin he could see a sea of flashing red and blue lights crisscrossed by yellow tape “I was shocked and then I was kind of scared,” said Oberlender When asked if this made him reconsider living downtown While he felt downtown was still a safe place to live despite this incident but I highly recommend there needs to be more police officers or security or attention around here." Larsen said the homicide investigation remains "very active." Police are looking at body cam and security footage They also want anyone who witnessed this incident or heard something to give them more details "What I think is really important and we have to be careful of," Nichols cautioned "is that we don't let events where the behavior of just a couple of folks causes all the rest of us to live in any sort of fear." Hosted by the German American Society of Tulsa the annual festival highlights the area's rich German heritage through traditional food the family-friendly event features live performances Many of the recipes come from Erica Hartman who remains dedicated to preserving her cultural roots I'm really a lot more Americanized than I am Austrian or German but I do keep the culture up," Hartman said during the event Graham joined the News 9 team in February of 2025 He is dedicated to sharing the diverse stories that have shaped his country and his community but I do keep the culture up,\" Hartman said during the event Washington’s DJ Laster drives to the basket during the 2024 Tournament of Champions defends Weatherford’s Ethan Sage during the 2024 Tournament of Champions Tulsa World Sports Columnist & Writer were among eight people killed in a bus crash in Kansas on Sunday Tulsa Public Schools and Union Public Schools officials confirmed that two of their students were among the eight The Kansas City Star reported that eight people were killed and another person was critically injured in the two-vehicle crash in Franklin County Kansas Highway Patrol Technical Trooper Jodi Clary told The Star The Kansas Highway Patrol has not yet publicly released the identities of those killed and has said the crash remains under investigation identified four of the victims in the crash and said they were connected to an Amateur Athletic Union basketball team whom he identified as — Donald “DJ” Laster and Kyrin “Ace” Gilstrap — were youths and the other two — Wayne Walls and Jaimon Gilstrap — were coaches A Union spokesman said ninth-grader Kyrin Schumpert was killed in the crash Tulsa Public Schools confirmed that Laster Laster got significant playing time for the 2024-25 Hornets team that captured the Class 5A championship Union Public Schools shared a statement from Superintendent John Federline: “It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I share the news of the tragic passing of one of our ninth-grade students who died in a car accident (on Sunday) On behalf of the entire Union Public Schools community I extend our deepest condolences to the student’s family “We have activated our crisis response team and are providing additional counseling resources at the Union Freshman Academy and across the district school psychologists and support staff are available to meet with anyone who may need help processing this tragedy.” “Our thoughts and prayers,” Federline concluded “are with the student’s family and everything affected by this tragic event.” Washington Principal Melissa Woolridge circulated this message to students and their families: “It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of a student from our Hornet family Donald “DJ” Laster tragically passed away in a car accident We have been in communication with DJ’s family and will share more information as it is available and appropriate “The accident also touched our community in a number of additional ways as it claimed lives of others known to our students and team members from middle school as basketball teammates and as beloved members of our extended family from across Tulsa.” In a written statement issued Monday afternoon who had been a coach at Carver Middle School who worked in the district’s transportation department The district had additional counselors at both Carver and Booker T sons and fathers,” TPS Superintendent Ebony Johnson said “I am heartbroken for those who lost loved ones and committed to honoring the immense collective impact each of these people had in Tulsa and in the lives of our young people I am praying for their families and everyone involved and hope others will continue to come alongside our students team members and families who are hurting.” The accident involved Oklahoma-based participants in a Kansas City-area Amateur Athletic Union basketball tournament that was played during the weekend TPS specified that the vehicles used to transport athletes to the AAU event were privately owned and not driven by school personnel World staff writer Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton contributed to this story bill.haisten@tulsaworld.com Officers shot two people amid the m… UPDATE: Tulsa Police have released new details following the shooting near 2nd Street and Elgin Avenue Officers say that as the crowd grew volatile around 12:30 a.m multiple individuals began firing into and out of the gathering Police engaged two armed suspects during the chaos one was shot and injured while fleeing with a semi-automatic pistol and the second was fatally shot after being identified as a threat from behind the officers At least five people were struck by gunfire from multiple suspects though none of the victims have died as of the latest update Multiple weapons and casings were recovered at the scene and several buildings were hit by stray gunfire The involved officers are on administrative leave while the incident is under review by the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office Tulsa police say one person is dead and several others are injured after gunfire erupted during a large gathering near 2nd Street and Elgin Avenue around midnight and hundreds of people were outside on the streets when a fight broke out Police say that the altercation quickly escalated into a shooting Police say several people were struck by the gunfire and rushed to area hospitals Three to four victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries and police are still working to determine how many suspects may have been involved Investigators are asking nearby businesses to provide surveillance footage to help piece together what happened Officers were already present in the area due to the crowd size and were able to respond almost immediately Eden Jones started as a Multimedia Journalist for News On 6 in June 2023 where she covers everything from breaking news to local features She loves connecting with the community and sharing the stories of Green Country Tulsa police say several people were hurt after what started as a fight on a busy downtown street Investigators say several people started shooting They say officers eventually shot two men with guns Police say there were hundreds of people outside on Sunday morning on the sidewalks and in the streets of downtown Tulsa near East Second Street and South Elgin Avenue police say a fight broke out that ended with gunshots Officers say they saw one man shooting into the crowd police say another man with a gun was behind them when an officer fired shots Police say that the man died from his injuries “We already had a large police presence in the area so the response was almost immediate,” said Lt Andrew Weeden with the Tulsa Police Department Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols released a statement about the shooting Investigators say at least 5 people were shot and police are working to get a better picture of exactly what happened Police say they plan to get with area businesses or anyone who may have surveillance footage to try to piece the events together TPD says the officers involved in the shootings have been placed on administrative leave  If you have any information that could help police viewers are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS The City of Tulsa is holding its third event in its series of community conversations as part of Mayor Nichols’ efforts to bring local government directly into Tulsa neighborhoods These events allow open conversation and updates between city leaders and Tulsa residents Monday's 'community conversation' is happening in West Tulsa at Tulsa Dream Center West Campus from 5:30 to 7 p.m The series will continue in Midtown and North Tulsa through May 19th residents are encouraged to attend the event closest to where they live The Tulsa Police Department held its annual memorial service to honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty as the community came together to honor Tulsa Police Officers who laid down their lives serving others at the Tulsa Police Department Memorial Service Out of the 41 names plastered on the walls at the TPD Training Academy one stands out to retired TPD officer Pat Calhoun Christie Mulkey also has her loved one on the wall She hasn’t missed a service in decades - not since the day she lost her husband The memorial service keeps his story alive for those who knew and loved them and the rest of the families still come to honor our loved ones,” said Mulkey each representing a life lost in the line of duty since 1917 Surviving family members placed flowers at the memorial for each of the fallen officers The service is a promise that they will never be forgotten “I hope they remember that we remember,” said Calhoun For a full list of those honored, click here For a full list of those honored, click here A resident we spoke with said she heard the gunshots and saw some of the mayhem from her apartment on 2nd and Elgin and by this time the police had shown up," said the Tulsa resident She wanted to remain anonymous but shared footage with us that she recorded from the balcony of her apartment The video shows the moment first responders arrived at the scene there were multiple ambulances that showed up and fire trucks," said the resident Tulsa Police say it was around 12:30 Sunday morning when a fight erupted within a large crowd in the area of 2nd and Elgin Police say multiple people were firing shots in and out of the crowd Captain Richard Meulenberg says one officer fired at one suspect As officers rendered aid to that individual They say there was another person with a firearm who an officer identified as a continuing threat Meulenberg said that the officer discharged their weapon "Tulsa is becoming a more metropolitan place so I'm not surprised that there's been more active crimes going on," said Valeria Linares a Tulsa resident who says she didn't know about the shooting until we asked her about it Linares says it seems like gun violence is starting to become more common here in our city "A shooting at Walmart happened not too long ago and other people are dying from gun violence that's not really good to hear," said Linares Police say there were at least five victims who were transported to the hospital with injuries This is an ongoing investigation and we’ll continue to update you as we get more information A former Tulsa fire captain with a criminal past is back in legal trouble after federal investigators say he attempted to rob a bank in Choctaw last month who previously served as a fire captain in Tulsa and instructed a bank clerk to empty the vault Investigators say a security officer pulled a gun Brown was released from prison just last October after serving time for two previous bank robbery convictions Related: Former Tulsa Fire Captain Sentenced For 2 Bank Robberies Related: Former Tulsa Fire Captain Sentenced For 2 Bank Robberies Police credit Flock cameras with reducing violent crime the data tells a murkier story — and the system may violate the law When Tulsa police found a body dumped behind a car wash in 2022 investigators turned to a newly installed surveillance tool — one of the city’s first Flock Safety cameras — to identify a suspect’s vehicle The car matched the description from a business security video and was the only vehicle of its kind picked up along the escape route was the first homicide solved using Tulsa’s now-ubiquitous Flock camera system.  City officials called it one of the biggest advancements in Tulsa policing in decades Tulsa has since invested millions of dollars in the artificial intelligence-enabled system citing its role in solving homicides and other serious crimes.  Yet, nearly three years after its rollout, there is little evidence that the system has helped prevent and solve crime in Tulsa, according to crime data and interviews with experts. Recent academic studies suggest license plate readers offer few benefits And some researchers argue that funds may be better spent hiring more officers particularly in short-staffed departments like Tulsa’s.  The technology has also raised legal concerns: Tulsa installed Flock cameras despite a longtime state law that explicitly prohibits the use of license plate readers for any purpose other than the enforcement of the state’s mandatory insurance law Civil liberties advocates argue that the cameras which can track the movements of cars around the city are a form of unconstitutional surveillance.  A spokesperson for Flock Safety referred questions about the efficacy of license plate reader cameras in Tulsa to the Tulsa Police Department.  who leads the city’s real-time information center acknowledged that research has yet to show clear evidence the technology reduces crime since we started putting this technology out we’re seeing crime in the city of Tulsa go down,” he said “We’re seeing benefits across the board and striving towards Mayor Nichols’ goal of making Tulsa the safest city in America.” Since the cameras were installed in mid-2022 violent crime initially decreased but has since risen back to previous levels according to Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation crime statistics.  Johnston credits Flock Safety’s technology which Tulsa was one of the first cities to adopt with aiding in arrests across a range of offenses — from serious crimes like homicides and armed robberies to more common incidents like hit-and-runs and shoplifting He said the system also helps officers quickly locate missing persons such as people with dementia who wander from home.  Johnston argues it has led to faster response times and more accurate identification of suspects which isn’t represented in data on crime or clearance rates “If I have a homicide suspect that’s on the loose the faster we can put handcuffs on them and keep the community safe I can see people saying we might have caught the person another way But I don’t want to see them walking the streets any longer than possible.” and legal scholars argue that the benefits fail to outweigh the costs They warn that these systems threaten foundational privacy rights and represent a worrying expansion of government surveillance “We are a nation of laws, not of technology,” said State Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, who led an interim study on license plater reader cameras in Oklahoma “It just boggles the mind that you have chief law enforcement officers who are willing to defy the law because they feel like they have some sort of superiority just because of what good they perceive they do.” a McClain County judge ruled “unequivocally” against the use of license plate reader data as evidence in a criminal case raising worries that their use may weaken or upend prosecutions in Oklahoma.  The Tulsa Police Department did not respond to written questions about the legal concerns Johnston said the Oklahoma statute that prohibits license plate readers was originally intended to regulate their use on turnpikes and argued that their broader deployment in cities has outpaced the law He said he believes lawmakers should revisit the statute and noted that the department hasn’t faced legal challenges over its use of the technology Flock Safety’s cameras do more than read license plates They also use artificial intelligence to create “vehicle fingerprints” based on make and unique features like dents and bumper stickers — allowing the system to identify cars even when license plates aren’t visible Officers can search for cars without a warrant using a license plate number or descriptors like “all vehicles with an American flag bumper sticker.” The software can then combine these datapoints to map a vehicle’s movements across the city On top of those they operate, ​​Tulsa police also have access to privately owned Flock cameras installed at shopping centers and in neighborhoods.  When reporters visited Tulsa’s real-time information center in March they gave Johnston one of their license plate numbers so he could demonstrate how the system works Johnston typed the number into his phone and a detailed log of where the car had been over the past month came up in seconds When the software prompted Johnston to give a reason for the search City officials insist the system is critical for solving crime.  “This is like turning the light switch on after our officers have been having to grope around in the dark for decades,” Mayor G.T Since taking office late last year, Mayor Monroe Nichols has vowed to continue using data-driven policing to target crime hotspots in the city. Police Chief Dennis Larsen also plans to continue expanding the system saying it has helped offset a staffing shortfall of about 140 officers.  Tulsa police credited Flock cameras with the department’s 100% homicide clearance rate in 2024 meaning every reported homicide led to an arrest Flock Safety frequently sends press releases to Tulsa journalists crediting its technology for the city’s homicide clearance rate and TV stations have aired stories based closely on these releases.  However, FBI crime data shows that over the past decade, Tulsa’s homicide solve rate has consistently exceeded 90% — well above the national average — before the city installed Flock cameras in 2022. The rate was also 100% in 2018 attributes Tulsa’s high homicide solve rate partly to the nature of its killings which often stem from domestic disputes rather than gang-related violence said the Tulsa Police Department “deserves full credit for their impressive crime-fighting efforts — nowhere do we claim that the presence of Flock Safety technology is the sole factor in these public safety results.”  Sign up to be notified whenever we publish a new story The company sent a media release in January with the subject line: “TPD Clears 100% of Homicides Thanks to License Plate Readers.” Johnston said the technology helps in other ways that aren’t represented in the data such as removing violent criminals from the streets faster and helping officers confirm they have the right suspect Tulsa’s clearance rate hasn’t improved since the system was deployed in mid-2022 and property crime rates in the city and across Oklahoma have declined steadily over the past several decades Peer-reviewed studies show that license plate reader cameras have had little impact on solving or deterring crime in other U.S who has studied the effectiveness of license plate reader cameras argues that Tulsa’s investment in the technology could have been better spent on more officers think about how many detectives you could have hired,” Hofer said “There’s a possibility license plate readers increase certain types of crime because you’ve divested money that could have gone to police personnel.”  Johnston disagrees that the Flock system was a poor investment He calls it a “force multiplier” that has made all 800 officers significantly more efficient.  We’d love to have that … but you never know what benefit they’re going to have,” he said “Having a resource available that supports the whole agency in the way that license plate reader data does whether you’re an investigator or you’re a patrol officer responding to a call and finding a vehicle that’s leaving it makes all of us much more efficient at our jobs.” The city also employs about 20 analysts and supervisors that staff the center Johnston said Tulsa avoided the issue by consulting with the Department of Transportation which denied permission to install cameras on state property “When governments rely on unauthorized technology to surveil their citizens “It can’t replace the human element because you’re just capturing a moment in time Tulsa officials frequently appear in Flock’s marketing campaigns Johnston said Tulsa is featured in so many advertisements because it was early to adopt the company’s platform He said the department does not receive discounts or incentives for participating in the advertising campaigns He noted that one former Tulsa officer now works as a sales manager for Flock Safety but said there’s no major revolving door between the department and the company Flock Safety and its CEO say they aspire to “a future with a Flock camera on every street corner” and “an America where crime no longer exists.” Nguyen said because Flock cameras can continuously track cars, they may violate the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects against unreasonable search and seizure. Courts have ruled that attaching GPS trackers to cars constitutes a search requiring a warrant “LPR cameras take photos of cars in public and cannot continuously track the movements of any individual,” said the spokesperson “Courts have persistently found that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in a license plate on a vehicle on a public road and photographing one is not a Fourth Amendment search.” But Hofer said when governments take enough pictures of cars and are able “If you use them in congruency with each other That seemingly poses a constitutional problem,” he said “The line is up for the courts to decide … but I think it’s highly plausible that they get curtailed a little bit.” Nguyen said the data is also often shared with other agencies, including the federal government. A federal grant from the U.S Department of Justice paid for some of Tulsa’s first flock cameras in 2022 The Tulsa Police Department denied an open records request for a list of agencies it shares its data with.  “We have significant concerns about who they share this data with,” Nguyen said “Law enforcement agencies can say it stays within their agency but Flock’s customer agreement that these agencies sign allows for the explicit sharing of the data captured to anywhere in the world.” One of Tulsa’s contracts states: “Flock may access preserve and/or disclose the Footage to law enforcement authorities and/or third parties” if the company is “legally required to” or has a “good faith belief” it would be in the best interest to do so.  We hope you'll join us at our 10th anniversary event next month Admission is free.www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fronti… The Tulsa Police Department’s Flock transparency portal states its data is stored for 30 days and “only shared with law enforcement agencies with reciprocal sharing.” Tulsa’s contract says it can search for cars in Flock’s “nationwide network.” The department says it prohibits use of the data for “immigration enforcement usage based solely on a protected class (i.e Public records show that Tulsa police receive automatic alerts flagging vehicles on national watchlists thousands of times each month Nguyen said this raises concerns about unjustified stops and the expanding reach of federal law enforcement.  Gann said he’s heard from former Oklahoma police officers who retained access to their agency’s Flock platform on their phones even after leaving the department Nguyen said she is aware of a case of an officer in Oklahoma who allegedly used a license plate reader system to track his ex-partner in a domestic violence situation A Flock spokesperson said “Flock’s platform requires a search justification for every search providing a robust tracking and auditing capability for police leadership and citizens.” Johnston acknowledged that misuse is possible but argued it’s no different than the potential abuse of any other police database Advocates also worry about the placement of these cameras in areas designated as “high-crime,” which are often minority communities. The Frontier submitted an open records request for the locations of all cameras currently operated by Tulsa police, but the department denied the request without explanation Flock cameras are used by about 60 law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma, according to the company. Oklahoma City had installed 90 cameras as of 2023 Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, filed legislation this year to authorize the use of license plate readers in Oklahoma, but it didn’t get a hearing before a legislative deadline. A similar bill failed in the Senate last year by a 13-28 vote despite Flock’s persistent efforts to sway lawmakers The company has hired an Oklahoma lobbying firm and has urged law enforcement agencies to reach out to their representatives “We recommend that you call or email your elected representative in the Oklahoma Senate this week to express your support for the bill,” a Flock salesperson wrote in an email to agencies last year “It’s critical that your legislator knows your Agency supports this measure and the importance of LPRs in helping law enforcement solve crime in your jurisdiction.” Johnston said he hopes Oklahoma will pass new laws to keep up with the technology.  the focus was on the turnpikes and how license plate readers will be used on the turnpikes in an enforcement way,” Johnston said we’ve seen changes with the technology being used differently and it’s really up to our elected officials to take a look at what changes need to be made to help their communities best respond to crime.” This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License The Frontier allows other media to republish its work for free under the following terms Frontier reporters must be credited with a byline along with “The Frontier” both online and in print The Frontier logo, available for download here must appear with each story online and in printed media Each Frontier story published in print and/or online must be accompanied by the following copy and url at the bottom of the story The url must be hyperlinked for all online stories The Frontier is a nonprofit newsroom that produces fearless journalism with impact in Oklahoma. Read more at www.readfrontier.org. The Frontier is funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable Donate Now and it’s also the final day to take advantage of some major food and drink deals from national chains and local favorites here are six specials still available on May 5 Just make sure to double-check any promo codes and participating locations Chipotle is waiving delivery fees for customers ordering through the Chipotle app or Chipotle.com Use the promo code DELIVER to redeem the offer Chipotle is offering free chips and Queso Blanco for digital orders made via its app or website Taco Bell fans can snag a free Nachos BellGrande with any order of $20 or more through DoorDash Chuy’s is serving up $5 queso bowls along with drink specials that include their signature House ‘Ritas: $6 for a regular and $9 for a Grande Red Robin is celebrating with a deal on House Margaritas available for $7.99—either frozen or on the rocks including at least two young students from the Tulsa metro on May 4 A Bartleville coach and a Tulsa Public Schools staff member were also killed in the crash The parents and students were on the road as part of "Oklahoma Chaos" — a competitive traveling basketball team Kansas Highway Patrol said two vehicles crashed head-on on Highway 169 in Franklin County the team's vehicle was heading southbound and attempted to pass a slower-moving southbound vehicle a second vehicle and the team's vehicle tried to avoid each other and moved to the shoulder resulting in a head-on crash in the northbound shoulder We are slowly learning more about the eight lives lost Tulsa Public Schools confirmed one person killed in the crash attended Booker T BTW officials confirmed the student killed is D.J TPS also confirmed that a staff member from the district's transportation department was also killed The district said that the staff member was also related to one of the students who was in the vehicle Tulsa Public Schools coaches and Educators Kevin D Carver Middle School sent the following letter to school families: former Principal of Carver Middle School (current principal at Nathan Hale High School) also released a statement: Union Public Schools confirmed another student who was killed is from their Freshman Academy Union's superintendent released this statement: One of the adults killed in the crash was former Bartlesville paraprofessional and coach Wayne Walls Bartlesville Public Schools said counselors will be available for students and staff who need them The cause of the crash is still under investigation Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols offered his support during a news conference Monday.“I’ll do anything those families or schools need,” he said Tulsa does a great job of rallying around those who need us.” 2 News is awaiting the full crash report from the Kansas Highway Patrol as well as the names of all the victims OKLA (KTUL) — Oklahoma Highway Patrol is sharing the importance of their routine safety inspections after conducting a commercial motor vehicle traffic stop and finding a structural crack on the truck’s trailer frame which they say posed a serious risk of collapse That's probably why Trooper Ragland put it on Facebook," said OHP Trooper Chris Herd Oklahoma Highway Patrol posted on Facebook last month about the truck they stopped in the Oklahoma City area and conducted a safety inspection on they found that the vehicle had a cracked trailer frame on both the driver and passenger sides "You’re not only posing a danger to yourself but you're also posing a danger to others on the road," said Marshall Willis who trains new truck drivers at Melton Truck Lines Willis' company was not involved with the incident mentioned in the Facebook post He walked us through the inspection process that they require each of their drivers to conduct before and after a trip "Just looking for anything visually that is not the way that it should be," said Willis "We definitely hold our drivers accountable for what they're doing out there on the road and cargo are your responsibility while you're transporting it from point A to point B And these inspections aren’t just required by company policy According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website drivers of commercial motor vehicles must sign a written report at the completion of each day’s work on each vehicle operated with the exception of intermodal equipment provided by an intermodal equipment provider Intermodal equipment is the large shipping containers you’ve no doubt seen that can be carried on trains or trucks and can even be loaded onto cargo ships "The state of Oklahoma does assess penalties to the company for any out-of-service violation found regarding the driver or the vehicles," said Herd OHP says the trailer was placed out of service to prevent any potential danger to the motoring public which is going to absolutely endanger the motoring public," said Herd around 18 percent of all road crash deaths involve a heavy vehicle They say that while heavy vehicles crash less often than other vehicles these crashes are more likely to result in a death or serious injury and the truck driver's family drives the roads And so ultimately we just want everybody to go home safely at night," said Herd OKLA (KTUL) — A road rage incident in East Tulsa resulted in the fatal stabbing of one woman and the injury of one man According to the Tulsa Police Department (TPD) officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 4:11 p.m who stated that a female was tailgating him in a red car on 11th between Mingo and Garnett and that he tried to get away from her by going into his neighborhood but did not want to go directly home so as not to be followed by her He said he saw the woman in a parking lot near his home and stopped to confront her the woman produced a tire tool and threw it at his car He told officers that he had warned the woman to leave him alone She then reportedly retrieved the tire tool and made threatening statements towards him and hit him with the tool That's when he produced a knife and stabbed her in the midsection in self-defense The woman was transported to a local hospital After the man was treated at a hospital for head and arm injuries he and two witnesses were transported to the Detective Division to be interviewed Police report he is not under arrest at this time The investigation will be submitted to the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office which will then determine if any charges are warranted joined by Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen on Monday to address public safety efforts following the downtown shooting over the weekend City leaders and law enforcement officials will discuss public safety measures in downtown Tulsa and answer questions Taste of Poland is bringing traditional Eastern European comfort food to Oklahoma with a local twist The only fully Polish restaurant in the state it’s the labor of love of owner Alicja Sokolowski who blends her heritage with her new home through handcrafted recipes and warm hospitality Sokolowski moved to New York before relocating to Tulsa with her family Her culinary journey began at local farmers' markets where she sold handmade pierogies that quickly grew in popularity she was making over 1,700 pierogies a week out of her home kitchen she crafts nearly every item on the menu from scratch The restaurant’s signature dish is the pierogi stuffed with a variety of fillings like cheese and onion or a more local creation the “Okie pierogi,” made with brisket and beans Other menu highlights include cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and rice pickle soup made from house-brined cucumbers and toasted baguettes known as zappies topped with caramelized mushrooms and homemade mayo Even the salads incorporate house-made elements like honey-ginger pears and farmer’s cheese guests can enjoy a range of lightly sweetened Polish treats like honey cake and cheesecake Sokolowski says her greatest challenge now is staffing she hopes to find new team members who share her passion for authentic cooking and community April 2025 will go down as the wettest April on record for both Tulsa and the entire state of Oklahoma The city of Tulsa officially recorded 10.99 inches of rainfall while some communities saw nearly a foot and a half of rain “This was not only Tulsa’s wettest April on record our wettest April on record,” Meteorologist Stephen Nehrenz said “No surprise flooding became a major issue.” Many areas across Green Country and eastern Oklahoma reported between 7 to 15 inches of rain Below is a full list of rainfall totals from highest to lowest: — According to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce Those visitors are estimated to bring in more than $3 million during the National Main Street Conference during the same year as the Route 66 Centennial Jefferson Graham is the Host and Producer of Photowalks travel photography series airing on Scripps News Sundays at 9 am He’s in Tulsa working on a series of episodes along Route 66 eventually working at USA Today covering Apple and new iPhones Graham went on a Downtown Tulsa Art Deco tour with 2 News Oklahoma’s Christine Stanwood eventually going next door to the Atlas building He shared his best tips for shooting images with his iPhone Then charge your phone and make sure you have enough storage a Tulsa man who has been imprisoned for nearly 15 years for a murder he claims he did not commit another man confessed on his deathbed to the shooting and killing of Dominique Jasper This revelation has prompted a federal judge to re-examine the case The Attorney General's Office was initially expected to respond to the judge's request for more information by next Monday the office has been granted a 60-day extension State Representative JJ Humphrey has also intervened sending letters to Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Governor Kevin Stitt “When one considers the lack of evidence and also recognizes that it is very likely plea deals were made to obtain testimony all of these factors suggest that the state would be wise to reopen the case and investigate the facts.” TULSA, Okla. — Five days after 2 News aired a news story on the repeated break-ins at unlocked doors at Promenade Mall city officials began enforcing trespassing ordinances in order to keep vandals and the homeless out of the unsafe structure After learning the City of Tulsa had received multiple complaints of trash city officials told us they were giving the owner a deadline of May 6 to secure the property themselves; that it was required to give the owners notice code enforcement went to the property and deemed the structure “unlawful” and “unfit for human occupancy.” We are told that in certain “repeat issue” situations the city can go ahead and secure the property themselves without the owner’s permission City officials say they have also started daily monitoring of the mall—between code enforcement A city spokesperson say there is no specific time frame for the daily monitoring but they are “committed to ensuring it stays secure.” They say code enforcement will officially close the case on May 6 if the mail has stayed locked up Tulsa police always encourage any suspicious activity to continue to be reported  2 News has tried to reach the property's owner since the mall closed in September 2023 until now A basic Google search will direct to a litany of problems with Kohan-owned malls across the country a news station in Illinois reported May 1 that the company just bought a new mall property in Moline with hopes of revitalizing and transforming the area OKLA (KTUL) — The Tulsa Police Department is searching for a man suspected of impersonating someone to cash a check Police posted a picture of the person of interest involving a fraudulent check at a local bank Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sakewicz via email at financialcrimes@cityoftulsa.org or call Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS (2677) and reference case #2025304680 Three people were taken into custody early Friday morning following an hours-long standoff at a home in Tulsa Officers said the standoff began around 7 p.m Thursday after they received a tip that two wanted men were inside a home near 67th East Avenue and Sheridan Road Police said one of the men (Cameron Will) came out of the home shortly after officers arrived but the other man refused to come out and barricaded himself inside a police K-9 unit and a drone to monitor the two-story home Officers used pepper balls and spent several hours attempting to negotiate a peaceful surrender officers entered the home and found the man hiding in the attic with a woman Authorities said Nacion was not wanted for any crime did not comply with commands and was bitten by a police K-9 before being taken into custody and checked by EMSA Police said Sharp had a felony warrant for aggravated assault out of Woods County was wanted on a firearms-related charge out of Tulsa She graduated from OU's Gaylord College of Journalism and is excited to continue serving the Tulsa community by sharing the stories of those who call it home Jayden Brannon joined the News On 6 team as a multimedia journalist in 2023 the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed skyscraper in Bartlesville the Tulsa firm best known for its revitalization of the city’s historic Mayo Hotel is now the official owner of another iconic property: the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Price Tower in Bartlesville The price of the 19-story concrete-and-copper structure The Price Tower was set to be sold next Tuesday as part of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy auction in the U.S Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma in Tulsa Molloy III said that although notices about the sale were sent out to some 900 potential buyers the McFarlin Building LLC bid was the only one submitted who already owns another Frank Lloyd Wright property come to Bartlesville to take a look at the tower,” Molloy said “We visited every one of the building’s 19 floors The bankruptcy court is now moving forward with the sale of the tower Molloy said the closing is estimated to take place as soon as within “the next four or five days.” Efforts to reach representatives of McFarlin Building LLC for comment were not successful The Bartlesville landmark was set to be sold at a bankruptcy auction but of 900 potential buyers for Price Tower The $1.4 million price is what McFarlin Building LLC originally offered the former owner in May 2024 when it entered into a purchase agreement to buy the Price Tower owner Cynthia Blanchard claimed in a statement that “extensive and unreasonable last-minute demands (by the McFarlin Building group) … effectively prevented the transaction from being completed within the permitted timeframe,” adding that she “legally terminated the agreement in writing.” Blanchard then sought to sell the building through the commercial real estate website Ten-X but the listing was ultimately pulled from the site Washington County District Judge Russell Vaclaw ruled on Jan 21 that a $1.4 million purchase agreement between Blanchard and McFarlin Building LLC was “to be enforced and executed,” according to court documents which transferred the potential sale of the property to bankruptcy court The McFarlin Building’s $1.4 million offer was set up as a “stalking horse” bid which is used to set the baseline for all bids on a given property in a bankruptcy auction The official minimum bid for the Price Tower was set at $1,539,287 The Price Tower was built in 1956 to be the headquarters of the Bartlesville oil and gas supply company owned by H.C It was later purchased by Phillips Petroleum Co In 2001 it was taken over by a nonprofit organization called the Price Tower Arts Center which sought to remake the building into a facility focusing on art Portions of the building were converted into a restaurant and bar and a luxury boutique hotel called The Inn at Price Tower the organization kept accumulating debt and ultimately sold the building to Blanchard a native of nearby Dewey who had relocated with her husband to the Bartlesville area in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic (Two companies of which Blanchard is the lone officer Green Copper Holdings and Copper Tree Inc. are officially listed as owners of the Price Tower.) In an interview with the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise at the time of the sale Blanchard said she planned to invest $10 million in renovating the Price Tower in April 2024 Blanchard sold a number of artifacts and objects from the Price Tower ranging from some of the decorative copper panels that adorn the tower’s exterior to unique original furnishings that Wright designed That sale prompted the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Wright’s work in August to file Uniform Commercial Code statements against the Price Tower owners to “put potential buyers on notice that covered items from the collection cannot be sold without the Conservancy’s consent.” The Conservancy holds a preservation easement with the Price Tower to prevent just such a sale — which Blanchard claimed was not legally binding because she is operating the tower as a for-profit business rather than as a nonprofit organization Days after the Uniform Commercial Code statements were filed Blanchard announced that Price Tower was going to close to the public and that businesses that had offices in the building would be evicted In in an October 2024 interview with the Tulsa World a member of the family that owns McFarlin Building LLC. said her family has been interested in the Price Tower for several years because “with all its history and its unique architecture (it) just seemed to encompass what our company is about and all the things we believe in.” “We had planned to invest up to about $10 million in (the Price Tower) and we’ve worked with the National Park Service before and we were going to work with the Conservancy “Because of all the time we’ve spent there getting to know the building and its operations — you kind of get attached to it.” james.watts@tulsaworld.com Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly How would OU handle a Nico Iamaleava situation with John Mateer Mason Young and Berry Tramel discuss how Tennessee handled its quarterback situation and if the Sooners would have did it the same way NORMAN — John Mateer’s arm got a workout this spring not just from zipping passes to his new teammates Oklahoma’s new quarterback, the Washington State transfer, said during a recent appearance on teammate Kendel Dolby’s podcast that he has a trading card deal and has spent many a night at home scribbling his name on memorabilia during his first semester at OU When the Sooners concluded spring practice on April 12 with their Crimson Combine event a replacement of their traditional spring game Mateer lingered on Owen Field long after the allotted hour for player autographs and made sure every last fan that wanted his signature got it helped reality set in just a little bit: he’s the quarterback at Oklahoma he also believes that reality won’t set in fully until he walks out of the team tunnel before 80,000 roaring fans on Aug for OU’s season opener against Illinois State that the underappreciated three-star recruit from Little Elm Texas could now be the face of the blueblood college football program two hours up the road from his home in the Dallas suburbs “I could have dreamed of this and told you it wasn’t going to happen,” Mateer told Dolby a 6-7 outcome in the Sooners’ first Southeastern Conference season left a bad taste in their mouths OU head coach Brent Venables hired new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle away from Wazzu and Mateer followed his OC to Norman In collaboration with Venables’ stout defense Arbuckle and Mateer will attempt to turn the tide in a make-or-break season against college football’s toughest schedule Mateer was as advertised in spring practice stoking hopes that he can be the right quarterback at the right time for Oklahoma — the guy who wants the smoke yet understands the unique privilege of quarterbacking the Sooners Since his whirlwind transfer portal recruitment landed him at OU Mateer has been wary of letting his $3 million name and the innate fame of being the Sooner signal caller The once-unthinkable has happened because he never became complacent His journey to his current station in life was earned Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer signs autographs for fans during April’s Crimson Combine event He wants to prove he belongs in the SEC as much as his new university does Mateer understands the platform he has to impact OU and Sooner Nation In addition to the thousands of autographs he has appeared at a number of other Sooner sporting events over the course of spring Mateer’s teammates threw him in the front of the line and he ran with it He continued to foster relationships with fellow Sooners during spring practice and even on spring break He plans to keep building rapport in the summer both through fun times and with serious work “He’s my locker buddy,” OU center Troy Everett said but he’s starting to open up a little bit more to us though He needs to start hanging out with the boys a little bit more He’s a big Bill Bedenbaugh fan right now; he brought him a big can of Zyn (nicotine) OU’s transfer receiver from Arkansas: “From Day 1 “He’s always going to bring a smile to your face Where did Mateer’s on-field intensity spawn from and only getting the bump to three-star from recruiting services after he committed to Wazzu late in his senior year of high school time has led to wisdom about that situation Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer will attempt to turn the tide in a make-or-break season against college football’s toughest schedule but looking back I know being young and immature I would’ve got complacent if I had all the big offers and all that,” Mateer said Mateer told Dolby he had seen the arrogant version of himself and didn’t like it When Mateer started for Little Elm High School as a freshman The struggles of his sophomore season quickly humbled him throwing an interception on his first pass of summer 7-on-7 drills He soon learned to appreciate the greatness of Ward and to enjoy learning from him and playing alongside him Mateer needed to show himself he could play at an elite level The touchdown he threw as a freshman on his fourth snap against Stanford was a good start His confidence grew this past season when he took over as the Washington State starter and beat teams like Washington and Texas Tech last year’s leader among college quarterbacks in total touchdowns (44) has a body of work behind him and knows Arbuckle’s offense like the back of his hand that has given him the opportunity to teach others their new system “The biggest thing that we always try to instill in the QB room is football IQ,” Arbuckle said after the Crimson Combine John’s been in it now for two and a half years and he understands whenever we may be in a bad situation on a play call “He’s able to ultimately put us in a better situation just from film study experiences that he’s had Whether playing games or going against Coach BV’s defense in the spring he’s able to get us in a lot better situation.” Lots of spring practice touchdowns and a tough test for Venables’ deep and talented defense He just wants to go out there and push everybody to their limits going against him and competing against him has definitely made the defense better.” Just playing against his mind and trying to confuse him that’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve had to do.” Hardy attested to a more energetic offense in spring practice than the year before saw more back and forth between the offense and defense too so he throws throws that you wouldn’t think you’d hit a throw,” Spears-Jennings said and then helped me with my disguises on defense So if I can make him check the wrong thing Oklahoma State linebacker transfer Kendal Daniels didn’t know who Mateer was at first but those practice battles quickly introduced him to the Sooners’ new QB “...They told me about the quarterback they got out of the portal “You think of a highly-talented quarterback I think somebody said his last name and I was like ‘Oh shoot that’s John Mateer.’ And then our friendship has grown from there We talk a lot of smack to each other on the football field I feel like he’s the type of guy you want leading your team.” who entrusted Mateer with leading his team not trying to be anybody but himself,” Venables said of Mateer He cares about his teammates and his coaches He’s going to fight for his guys every day Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables has entrusted quarterback John Mateer with leading his team this season Many have already likened Mateer to former Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield and have cast lofty expectations on the 2025 season building relationships and playing in the SEC,” but he’s not feeling the weight of any pressure on his shoulders Mateer long ago deleted Twitter off his phone and stopped worrying about what people were saying He used to be a player who was caught up in his own statistics “Winning games is important,” Mateer said to Dolby “I believe you win games and everything else comes That’s why I try to build relationships with all of y’all “I have my own goals of course… and there’s been comparisons to Baker and the Heisman and that mason.young@tulsaworld.com Mason Young and Berry Tramel discuss how Tennessee handled its qua… Tara Rittler is the web & social media editor at TulsaKids Magazine "Spaghetti on the Wall" will chronicle the adventures of raising her son and exploring Tulsa We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at contactus@langdonpublishing.com or call us at 918-585-9924 It's Cinco de Mayo and we are celebrating on Living Oklahoma Today we had Ana Berry in downtown Tulsa to check out Elote's Cinco De Mayo Street Festival This is the last day for the festival and activities start at 3p.m To look at a schedule of events click here. The Oklahoma Caring Van will be in Tulsa this week to provide free immunizations to children in need part of an ongoing effort to make preventive health care more accessible for families across the state Free Shots for Children Available May 6 and May 9 The mobile clinic will be stationed at Tulsa’s Mingo WIC on Tuesday Families are asked to bring a current shot record and all children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian Helping Eliminate Barriers to Preventive Care Operated by the Oklahoma Caring Foundation the Caring Van program is designed to eliminate obstacles that often prevent families from receiving timely vaccinations the program has helped thousands of children stay protected against preventable diseases Licensed nurses administer the vaccines aboard the specially outfitted vans and records are uploaded to the Oklahoma State Immunization Information System (OSIIS) to keep children's health histories up to date The full Oklahoma Caring Van schedule can be found here The full Oklahoma Caring Van schedule can be found here