FAMU Homecoming Mass Shooting Leaves 12 Injured, Including Six Children, as Police Hunt for Gunman

FAMU Homecoming Mass Shooting Leaves 12 Injured, Including Six Children, as Police Search for Those Responsible

An 11 year old was among the victims when gunfire erupted near Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium following Saturday’s homecoming football game. Police say an altercation preceded the shooting, which left 11 people with gunshot wounds and another injured while fleeing. Investigators are examining evidence and asking witnesses to come forward as questions mount about security surrounding the university’s annual celebration.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A mass shooting near Florida A&M University during its homecoming celebration Saturday night left 12 people injured, including six children, after gunfire erupted on a crowded street near Bragg Memorial Stadium. Eleven people suffered gunshot wounds, while a twelfth person, identified as the grandmother of one of the victims, was injured while attempting to escape the violence. The youngest victim was just 11 years old.

The shooting occurred shortly before 8 p.m. on October 24, near the intersection of Perry and Manatee streets, hours after Florida A&M’s football team faced the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in its annual homecoming game. The violence sent people running for safety, prompted an emergency alert from the university and brought a major police response to an area filled with students, alumni, families and visitors celebrating one of FAMU’s largest annual events.

Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said preliminary findings indicated that a physical altercation involving a small group of individuals preceded the gunfire. Investigators had not established a motive or publicly identified those responsible as of the latest Sunday reporting reviewed by SFL Media. Police were gathering surveillance footage, witness statements and forensic evidence while appealing to the public for information that could help reconstruct the shooting.

The violence occurred near the university’s campus rather than inside Bragg Memorial Stadium, and investigators have not established that the confrontation originated at the football game or that FAMU students were deliberately targeted. The distinction is important because the shooting took place during homecoming festivities but may have resulted from a separate dispute that escalated in a crowded public area.

Six Children Among 11 Gunshot Victims as One Person Remains in Critical Condition

The Tallahassee Police Department confirmed that six adults and six juveniles were among the 12 people injured. Eleven suffered gunshot wounds, while the remaining victim was injured while fleeing the scene. Chief Revell identified the youngest victim as an 11-year-old and said he believed one of those injured was a Florida A&M student.

The initial police assessment late Saturday indicated that at least three people had sustained serious injuries. By Sunday morning, officials reported that five gunshot victims had been released from the hospital, while six remained hospitalized, including one person in critical condition. Authorities had not publicly released the names of the victims or a complete breakdown of their individual injuries.

The presence of six children among the victims underscores the wider impact of violence during public celebrations that attract families and visitors beyond the university’s student population. Police have not determined publicly whether the injured individuals were participants in the original confrontation or bystanders caught in the gunfire. Investigators also have not released a verified account of how many shots were fired, how many firearms were involved or the precise positions of the victims when the shooting began.

No deaths had been reported in the verified Sunday updates. However, with one victim still listed in critical condition, the medical consequences remained serious, and the reported hospitalization figures were subject to change as treatment continued.

FAMU’s Homecoming Celebration Turns Into a Scene of Panic

The shooting followed a day of major homecoming activities at Florida A&M, one of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities. The Rattlers hosted Arkansas Pine Bluff at Bragg Memorial Stadium in a game that began at approximately 3 p.m. and ended around 6 p.m., with the visiting Golden Lions winning 31–28. The surrounding streets remained active as attendees continued celebrating after the game.

Shortly before 8 p.m., police received reports of gunfire near Perry and Manatee streets, just steps from the stadium. Preliminary investigative findings indicated that a physical confrontation had occurred before the shooting. What began as a dispute involving a small number of people quickly became a much larger emergency as gunfire struck multiple victims in an area where crowds were still gathered.

Florida A&M issued a public safety alert at approximately 8:40 p.m., warning people to avoid the area around Bragg Memorial Stadium and Perry Street or shelter in place if nearby. The university subsequently stated that its campus remained safe and encouraged people to stay clear of the scene while law enforcement conducted its investigation.

The emergency response continued into the night as officers secured the area, medical personnel treated victims and investigators began documenting evidence. Police Chief Revell held a news conference shortly after midnight Sunday, providing the first detailed account of the number of victims and the preliminary circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Witnesses Describe Gunshots, People Running and Victims on the Ground

Eyewitness accounts provided to local television stations described a sudden eruption of violence followed by confusion as people attempted to escape the crowded area.

Florida A&M student Jayden Dubois told WCTV that he heard gunshots and saw people running. During the rush to safety, he said he was knocked down and later saw a person lying on the ground. His account reflected the panic that followed the gunfire, as people attempted to determine where the shots were coming from and how to reach safety.

Other witnesses described noticing a confrontation before the shooting and seeing investigators examining the street afterward. Police have not publicly established the precise sequence of events between the initial altercation and the gunfire, making witness accounts, security camera recordings and cellphone videos especially important to the investigation.

The accounts also illustrate the dangers that can emerge when gunfire breaks out in a dense crowd. People can be injured not only by bullets but also while fleeing, falling or being struck during a sudden rush toward safety. In this case, police confirmed that one of the 12 injured individuals did not suffer a gunshot wound but was hurt while escaping the scene.

Officers Were Already Deployed Near the Stadium When Gunfire Erupted

One of the most significant details disclosed by Chief Revell concerns the police presence in the area before the shooting. According to the chief, approximately two dozen officers had already been assigned nearby as part of the department’s homecoming security operations. When shots were fired, officers responded to the scene and began helping injured people before the area was fully secured.

Revell praised officers who moved into the dangerous scene to carry victims toward emergency assistance. Police said some officers transported injured individuals to hospitals when the crowded conditions made it difficult for emergency vehicles to reach them quickly.

The department’s response demonstrates that officers were already positioned in the vicinity of the festivities and were able to provide immediate assistance. However, the shooting also raises questions about how security resources were distributed, whether the gathering near Perry Street had been identified as a potential crowd management concern and what information officers had about the confrontation before gunfire erupted.

Those questions cannot be answered solely from the fact that police were present. A proper assessment would require examination of the event security plan, dispatch records, officer assignments, body camera footage and witness statements. The available evidence does not establish that police or university officials were negligent or that the shooting could have been prevented through a different deployment.

Police Investigate the Altercation That Preceded the Shooting

The Tallahassee Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit is leading the investigation into the shooting. Detectives are examining the circumstances of the reported physical altercation, attempting to identify those involved and determining who discharged the weapon or weapons.

Chief Revell initially described the confrontation as an apparently isolated incident involving two or three individuals, but he emphasized that investigators were still working to determine exactly what happened. Police had not publicly identified a suspect, announced an arrest or established a motive in the verified Sunday reporting.

Authorities also had not confirmed whether one or multiple people fired weapons, whether any firearm had been recovered or whether those involved had any connection to Florida A&M. The department’s official statement referred to identifying those responsible rather than definitively establishing the number of shooters.

Investigators are seeking photographs, cellphone videos, surveillance recordings and information from witnesses who were in the area before, during or immediately after the shooting. Such evidence could help determine whether the confrontation began elsewhere, how it escalated and whether the individuals involved fled on foot or by vehicle.

Police have cautioned that their findings remain preliminary and may change as additional evidence becomes available.

FAMU President Condemns Shooting as University Offers Support to Students

Florida A&M University President Marva B. Johnson condemned the violence in a Sunday statement, expressing concern for the injured victims, their families and the broader university community. Johnson described the shooting as an evil act and announced counseling resources for students affected by the incident. The university emphasized that the shooting occurred near campus and that the campus itself remained safe. Officials also encouraged members of the community to cooperate with law enforcement and avoid the affected streets while investigators continued their work.

Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey also responded to the violence, expressing solidarity with the victims and the FAMU community. The mayor characterized the incident as a devastating tragedy and pledged that the broader Tallahassee community would support those affected.

The responses reflect the significance of FAMU’s homecoming celebrations, which bring together generations of students, alumni, families and supporters. The university’s annual festivities are an important part of Tallahassee’s cultural and social calendar, extending beyond the football stadium into surrounding neighborhoods and businesses.

Security Questions Emerge Over Large University Homecoming Celebrations

Although investigators have not established that the shooting resulted from failures in event security, the circumstances raise important questions about how universities and local governments protect large crowds gathering outside stadiums and other controlled venues.

Homecoming celebrations often extend across public streets, private businesses, parking areas and nearby neighborhoods, creating complicated security responsibilities. University police may control campus property while municipal law enforcement agencies retain primary responsibility for surrounding public areas. That division can make advance planning, communications and emergency coordination especially important.

In the FAMU shooting, approximately two dozen officers were reportedly deployed nearby when the violence occurred. Investigators and city officials will need to examine whether security planning adequately accounted for crowds remaining in the area after the football game, whether officers had any warning of the confrontation and how quickly the incident escalated.

Additional questions concern emergency medical access, crowd evacuation and the timing of public safety alerts. The university’s warning was issued approximately 40 minutes after the reported shooting, although that interval alone does not establish that students or visitors were left without necessary information. A complete review would need to examine earlier police communications, the time at which the threat was contained and the information available to university officials.

Any determination of negligence or inadequate preparation would require additional evidence. Nevertheless, the shooting provides a compelling reason for city and university officials to review their security arrangements before future large-scale celebrations.

Tallahassee Has Faced Previous High Profile Mass Shootings

Saturday’s violence adds to a troubling history of shootings affecting Tallahassee and other university communities.

In October 2022, a shooting on West Pensacola Street in Tallahassee left one person dead and eight others injured. The incident occurred in a crowded area near Florida State University and prompted a significant law enforcement investigation.

In April 2025, a shooting at Florida State University’s Student Union killed two people and injured several others, drawing national attention to campus emergency response procedures and the challenges of preventing armed attacks in public university environments.

Another major incident occurred during Tuskegee University’s centennial homecoming weekend in Alabama in November 2024, when a shooting left one person dead and 16 others injured. That violence also occurred amid large celebrations associated with a historically Black university.

These incidents are separate, and investigators have not established any connection between the people responsible. They also involved different circumstances, locations and security arrangements. Their relevance lies in the recurring challenge of protecting large public gatherings, particularly when celebrations extend beyond university controlled facilities.

The FAMU shooting should therefore be investigated on its own facts, while any broader discussion of event security should consider the different circumstances surrounding previous incidents.

Police Ask Witnesses to Submit Videos and Information

The Tallahassee Police Department is urging anyone who witnessed the shooting or recorded activity near Perry and Manatee streets Saturday evening to contact investigators. Police are particularly interested in cellphone recordings, surveillance footage, photographs and information about the confrontation that preceded the gunfire.

The department established a dedicated shooting tip line at 850-891-4610. Members of the public may also contact Tallahassee police at 850-891-4200 or provide anonymous information through Crime Solvers at 850-574-8477. Investigators have also made an online evidence submission portal available for photographs and videos related to the shooting. Police are asking witnesses to provide information directly rather than assume investigators have already received the same evidence from someone else.

The investigation remains active, and officials have cautioned that additional information concerning the victims, suspects and circumstances may become available as detectives complete interviews and examine forensic evidence.

A Homecoming Tragedy Leaves Families Waiting for Answers

The shooting near Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium transformed what should have been a weekend of celebration into a traumatic event for victims, families and the surrounding community. Twelve people were injured, including six children, and one victim remained in critical condition in the latest verified hospital update.

Police believe an altercation preceded the violence, but investigators have not established who fired the shots, what motivated the confrontation or whether those involved had any connection to the university. The available evidence also does not establish that the football game or homecoming celebration itself was the intended target.

For the victims and their families, the immediate concerns are recovery, medical treatment and accountability. For law enforcement, the priority is identifying those responsible and determining how a confrontation involving a small group escalated into gunfire that injured 11 people.

For Florida A&M and Tallahassee officials, the incident also presents broader questions about crowd safety, emergency coordination and security planning during major university events. Those questions deserve examination without prematurely assigning blame or drawing conclusions unsupported by the investigation.

The most urgent unanswered question is how a dispute near one of Florida’s most prominent university homecoming celebrations escalated into a shooting that injured 11 people, including six children, while police officers were already stationed nearby. Until investigators establish the facts and identify those responsible, the FAMU community is left confronting the aftermath of a celebration overshadowed by violence and a continuing search for answers.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Tallahassee Police Department — Official Investigation Statement, October 24, 2026. Primary source confirming the location, victim count, ages, initial medical conditions, preliminary altercation findings and investigative response.

Read the official Tallahassee Police Department statement2. Associated Press — Police Seek Evidence Following Shooting Near FAMU, October 25, 2026. Independent national reporting on the shooting, police investigation, victims and public appeal for evidence.

Read the Associated Press report3. Reuters — Eleven Shot Near Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, October 25, 2026. Independent reporting on the number of gunshot victims, preliminary police findings and university response.

Read the Reuters report4. WCTV — Twelve Injured in Perry Street Shooting, Including Six Minors, October 24–25, 2026. Local reporting featuring Chief Revell’s news conference, eyewitness interviews, police deployment and updated victim conditions.

Read WCTV’s local investigation and witness coverage5. Scripps News — Eleven-Year-Old Among Victims Near Florida A&M Stadium, October 25, 2026. Reporting on the youngest victim, medical conditions, location and aftermath.

Read the Scripps News report6. HBCU Gameday — FAMU Homecoming Shooting Leaves 12 Injured, October 25, 2026. Coverage of the university’s homecoming activities, stadium context, emergency alert and police investigation.

Read HBCU Gameday’s report7. WUSF — Shooting Near FAMU’s Bragg Stadium, October 25, 2026. Florida public-radio coverage of the official police statement and university response.

Read the WUSF report

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