Connecticut high school football game postponed after threats of violence

Norwich Free Academy vs. Fitch game was moved from Thursday to Friday and will now be played with limited attendance

Because of social media threats, Thursday's nigh school football game between Norwich Free Academy and Fitch High School, at NFA, was postponed until Friday and attendance was limited. / Norwich Free Academy Instagram

A Connecticut high school football game scheduled for Thursday night between Norwich Free Academy (NFA) and Fitch High School was postponed until Friday, after threats of violence were made on social media.

The threats, first reported by NFA students who alerted a school security officer, according to a report by NBC Connecticut. The Grofton Police Department was then notified. The initial plan was to staff the game with additional police officers, but after Fitch students reported additional threats, officials from both schools, as well as the Grofton police, made the joint decision to postpone the game, allowing time for additional safety measures to be put in place.

The game was rescheduled for Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. Each player had to identify four family members as fans. The designated fans had to purchase their tickets and show a phot ID. Only NFA and Fitch students were also allowed to attend but each had to present a valid student ID.

"We encourage students, parents, and citizens who are made aware of concerning posts and potential threats they view on social media to immediately bring them to attention of public safety and/or school officials," said a statement provided to NBC Connecticut by Grofton Police Chief Louis Fusaro. "This simple act can help identify bad actors and help deter and prevent disruption of events. We applaud these students for having the courage and concern to connect with their SRO to help prevent potential problems at yesterday’s game."