Police say a fight in the crowd after Florida A&M’s homecoming game turned into gunfire that wounded 11 people, six of them children.
Story Highlights
- Police said 11 people were shot near Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, and a 12th person was hurt while running away.
- Six of the injured are children, and the youngest is 11 years old, according to reports.
- Police said a fight between two or three people came before the shots.
- On Sunday, October 25, police arrested a 15-year-old boy and charged him with 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder.
- Families were in the crowd leaving the game, and police call it “an isolated incident between 2 or 3 individuals.”
Gunfire Near the Stadium After the Homecoming Game
The shooting happened shortly before 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, on Perry Street near Manatee Street, next to Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium. Crowds were leaving the homecoming football game. Police say the early evidence shows a fight broke out first, and the fight led to the gunfire. Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said “an altercation occurred between individuals” and called it “an isolated incident between 2 or 3 individuals.” He also said, “We do not know exactly what happened.”
Police first said the number of victims and the extent of their injuries were not yet known. Chief Revell later said 11 people had gunshot wounds. A 12th person, described in reports as a grandmother, was hurt while trying to get away. Police said at least three of the victims were seriously hurt. No deaths were reported.
Children Among the Wounded
Homecoming is the yearly weekend when graduates come back to campus for a big football game and parties, and families were among the crowd. Witnesses said the chaos began as people were walking out of the stadium. One student said he heard a couple of gunshots and then saw a crowd of people running.
Florida A&M sent a campus alert as police moved in. It told people near the stadium and Perry Street to avoid the area or shelter in place, meaning to stay inside and away from doors and windows until it is safe. Police asked the public to stay away while officers worked the scene. The university later said the shooting happened near its campus and that the campus remained safe.
A Teen Is Arrested
On Sunday, October 25, detectives arrested a 15-year-old boy. He faces 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder and a gun charge. Police say the shooting grew out of a dispute between people who knew each other, and that none of the victims appear to have been the people the shooter meant to hit. Police say more arrests are possible.
Homecoming weekends bring joy, alumni pride and big business for local shops. They also draw large crowds onto public streets after dark. The line here is simple: families deserve safe streets, and the people who opened fire on a crowd with children in it must face swift, sure punishment. City leaders, the university and police can use this case to tighten street security and add visible patrols when big crowds gather.
Sources:
tallahassee.com, tallahassee.com, wrdw.com, upi.com, abc7.com
