11 Shot, 12 Hurt Near FAMU Stadium on Homecoming Night, Including Six Juveniles. No Arrests Yet

Twelve people were injured, 11 of them shot, near Florida A&M University's Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday night, Oct. 24. Six of the victims are under 18. The youngest is 11.

As of Sunday morning, Oct. 25, the Tallahassee Police Department has announced no arrests. Chief Lawrence Revell said at an early-morning news conference that no one has been taken into custody.

What happened

The gunfire erupted just before 8 p.m. near the intersection of Perry and Manatee streets, next to the stadium. It came during FAMU's homecoming weekend, after the Rattlers hosted Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the annual homecoming game. Arkansas-Pine Bluff won 31-28, Newsweek reported.

Police said the preliminary investigation shows a physical altercation preceded the shooting. Revell described it as "an isolated incident between two or three individuals." He said police believe one shooter was involved.

Police have not said what the fight was about, who was in it, or who fired.

Of the 12 injured, six are adults and six are juveniles, according to Revell. Police said 11 sustained gunshot wounds. Newsweek reported that one victim is a FAMU student and that the grandmother of one victim was hurt while running from the scene.

Condition of the victims

Police have described at least three victims as seriously injured. An earlier police update listed one in critical condition, two seriously injured and eight stable. A later statement said three had serious injuries and the rest were stable, with one of the seriously injured being a minor.

The numbers shifted as the night went on. Police have not released victims' names or a detailed condition breakdown.

The scene

Revell said the area was packed with people leaving the game and homecoming events. Officers could not get through the crowd to reach the wounded.

"We had officers who were picking up victims and carrying them in their arms to transport because they couldn't get through the mass of people," Revell said. He said officers moved in before the scene was secure and without knowing where the shooters were or how many were hurt.

He asked the crowd to disperse so officers could get to victims. He also said the department's detectives, sergeants and forensic personnel were still processing the scene late Saturday.

"Tonight, our thoughts are with the victims and their families as they face the devastating impact of this violence," Revell said. "It is especially heartbreaking to know that children are among those injured."

The university's position

Florida A&M said on X that the shooting happened near campus and that campus remained safe. It urged people to avoid the area so police could work. The university added that "the safety and security of our students, faculty, and staff remain our highest priority."

The university has not said whether any homecoming events scheduled for Sunday will change.

What comes next

The police violent crimes unit is leading the investigation. Revell said the priority is "to determine what happened and why it happened, and to bring the people that are responsible for this to justice."

He asked anyone who was in the area, or who has photos or video from the crowd, to come forward. Large events like this often produce phone footage, and in a packed street that may be the fastest route to identifying one shooter.

The open questions are specific. Who fired, and who was in the fight that preceded it? Were the children shot by the person in the dispute or caught in the crowd? Police have not answered either, and the department has promised an update as detectives work through the scene and witness accounts.