Twelve Injured in Shooting Near Florida A&M University on Homecoming Weekend
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Twelve people, six of them under 18, were injured in a shooting Saturday night near Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, eleven of them by gunfire, police said. Three victims sustained serious injuries, including one minor; the others were in stable condition.
The violence unfolded at about 8 p.m. at an intersection adjacent to the stadium on Perry Street, as the historically Black university marked its annual homecoming. Earlier in the evening, Florida A&M’s Rattlers had hosted the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions for the homecoming football game.
Police Chief Lawrence Revell said preliminary information pointed to a physical altercation between two or three individuals that escalated into gunfire. “Our preliminary information shows that an altercation occurred between individuals,” he told a news conference early Sunday. He said police believed one shooter was involved, that no arrests had been made, and that no one was in custody. The youngest of the injured was 11 years old, he said.
“At least three of the shooting victims have sustained serious injuries, while nine others are reported to be in stable condition,” the Tallahassee Police Department said in a statement. “It is especially heartbreaking to know that children are among those injured,” Chief Revell said.
The university said on social media that the shooting had taken place near campus, that the campus itself remained safe, and it urged members of the community to stay away from the area. “The safety and security of our students, faculty, and staff remain our highest priority,” Florida A&M said. The police violent crimes unit is investigating the circumstances, and Chief Revell asked witnesses to come forward. “Our priority is to determine what happened and why it happened, and to bring the people that are responsible for this to justice,” he said.
NBC News reported that 11 of the 12 injured were shot. CBS News, citing police, said at least three victims were seriously hurt and that a fight broke out before the shooting in a crowded area after the game. Fox News reported that six children were among the injured.
No motive had been announced as of Sunday morning, and the investigation continued.