I've been holding off overnight to figure out how I want to respond. I've convinved myself that any res[ponse I make needs to be in 2 parts:
1 - regardless of your irrational fear of snakes as snakes, there was no immediate threat and more than ample time for someone to call and be told that Animal Control had no interest in coming to remove the snake. By which time practice most likely would have been well over and the kids finally sent home, and someone could have gone home and brought back the weapon of choice for use against snakes - the common shovel.
2 - the whole story just seems to have too many holes to be able to support any notion that anybody there above the age of 10 was actually thinking. Counting the ways* would only expose me to the great possibility of missing some. But one needs to be addressed - the lady shooter was in possession of a valid concealed license/permit but was herself unarmed.
I find myself in the monority, and proudly so, regarding this fiasco. There was no need to shoot and the cops' response (seeing as how they did not pepper-spray or taser her) seems reasonable under the circumstances.
stay safe.
* - but "bringing a stick to a snake fight" is really, really trying to get out of my head and into this post. I shall struggle to keep it contained.