At least 12 people, including six children, were injured in a Florida A&M shooting near a football stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday, Oct. 24, during the university’s homecoming weekend, authorities said. Eleven people suffered gunshot wounds, and a 12th person was hurt while fleeing the scene, according to the Tallahassee Police Department. No deaths had been reported in the updates released after the shooting.
The shooting happened around 8 p.m. in a crowded area near Perry Street and Manatee Street, outside Bragg Memorial Stadium, just after a homecoming football game had ended. Officers were already nearby when the shooting began, police said. Florida A&M University said the incident happened near its campus and that the campus remained safe, and it urged people to avoid the area while police investigated.
Florida A&M shooting near Bragg Stadium
The Florida A&M shooting followed a physical altercation, according to the preliminary investigation. Tallahassee police said their early findings indicated that a fight broke out before shots were fired in the crowded area outside the stadium. Police Chief Lawrence Revell said the altercation involved two groups who knew each other, and that none of those struck was believed to have been an intended target.
Florida A&M shooting victims and hospitals
Six of the injured in the Florida A&M shooting were adults and six were juveniles, police said. The youngest victim was 11 years old. Eleven victims had gunshot wounds. The 12th person hurt was the grandmother of one of the people who had been shot, and she was injured while trying to flee the scene, according to police.
At least three victims of the Florida A&M shooting initially suffered serious injuries, while nine others were reported to be in stable condition, police said in their early updates. By Sunday, police said in a statement that six of the shooting victims remained in hospital and five had been discharged. One of those still in hospital was being treated for critical injuries. Police have not publicly identified the victims, and Revell said investigators believed that one of the injured people was a Florida A&M student, although that information had not been accompanied by a public identification.
Revell addressed the effect on families in a statement on Saturday night. He said: “Tonight, our thoughts are with the victims and their families as they face the devastating impact of this violence. It is especially heartbreaking to know that children are among those injured.” Florida A&M expressed sympathy for those injured and affected, and said the campus remained safe after the incident near it.
Florida A&M shooting arrest and investigation
Police said on Saturday night that no arrests had been made, and investigators had not announced a suspect or a motive in the information released that night. That position changed when Tallahassee police later announced the arrest of a 15-year-old in connection with the Florida A&M shooting. The teenager faces 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a delinquent, police said.
Revell said the arrest in the Florida A&M shooting marked progress in the case but did not close it. He said: “While this arrest marks a significant step forward, our work is far from over.” Police said further arrests were possible, and they stressed that the investigation was continuing. The charge of attempted second-degree murder, at 11 counts, matched the number of people who suffered gunshot wounds, although police did not publish a victim by victim account linking each count to a named person.
The investigation into the Florida A&M shooting remains open. Police are working to establish what led to the confrontation, who was responsible for firing the shots and whether multiple individuals were involved. No motive beyond the preliminary report of a fight preceding the gunfire had been announced in the updates reviewed. Six victims remained in hospital in the Sunday update, with one in critical condition, and five had been discharged.