At least 12 people, including six children as young as 11, were injured in a mass shooting near a Florida university football stadium as crowds gathered for packed homecoming celebrations.
Eleven people were hit by gunfire when violence broke out near Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday night, triggering panic as people ran for cover.
Three victims sustained serious injuries, including one who was in critical condition. The other eight people struck by gunfire were reported to be stable.
Six juveniles were among those injured, with the youngest victim just 11 years old.
A 12th person, the grandmother of one of the victims, was hurt while trying to escape as fear swept through the crowds attending the university’s homecoming weekend.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell disclosed the toll during a late-night news conference and said he was struggling to understand how the violence had occurred.
‘I stand before you tonight devastated,’ Revell said.
Investigators said a fight involving several people broke out shortly before 8pm and may have led to the shooting near the intersection of Perry and Manatee streets, next to the university’s football stadium.
At least 12 people, including six children as young as 11, were injured in a mass shooting near a Florida university football stadium during crowded homecoming celebrations
Police lights illuminated the chaotic scene near Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium on Saturday night after a mass shooting injured 12 people, including six juveniles
As of the midnight update, no arrests had been made. Authorities had not named any suspects or determined what triggered the confrontation.
The shooting happened shortly after Florida A&M’s Rattlers lost their homecoming football game to Arkansas-Pine Bluff, while large crowds remained in the surrounding streets.
Videos shared on social media showed the chaotic aftermath, with police officers rushing to help the wounded as confusion and panic spread through the area.
In one widely circulated clip, officers carried an injured person through a parking lot on a makeshift cloth stretcher.
Another video showed emergency responders using flashlights while treating someone on the ground, as frantic voices could be heard nearby.
Additional footage showed police trying to manage the crowds, with debris and abandoned belongings scattered across the streets where people had fled.
‘Everybody ran; everybody cleared off,’ one witness could be heard saying in a video.
Revell commended first responders for their efforts, saying officers had to carry some of the injured because emergency vehicles were unable to get through the dense crowds.
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‘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,’ the police chief said.
A police officer stands among shaken bystanders after a shooting during Saturday night’s homecoming celebrations
Witnesses described terrifying moments as families desperately tried to escape the gunfire.
‘Praying for our kids because what I just witnessed at 7:50pm was unbelievable,’ one person wrote on Facebook.
‘My 1st and last homecoming. On God! My kids and their friends were crying and I’m trying to pull other people kids to safety.’
The witness added: ‘This could have been any of our babies.’
Another person described the desperate scramble to survive.
‘Perry St was wild tonight. Running, falling, ducking and hiding,’ they wrote.
A separate witness claimed to have seen people being shot directly in front of them.
‘They literally just shot these ppl in front of me,’ the person wrote. ‘Ya’ll please pray for they families.’
The emergency also prompted neighboring Florida State University to issue a warning advising students, faculty and staff across Tallahassee to remain indoors.
Ambulances filled the streets as police and paramedics raced to respond to the shooting, leaving 11 people with gunshot wounds and 3 seriously injured, plus one in critical condition
‘At this time, there is no indication that members of the FSU community were involved,’ the university said.
‘As a precaution, students, faculty and staff in the Tallahassee area are advised to remain indoors this evening and stay alert.’
By 9:45pm, Tallahassee police confirmed that the shooting scene had been secured, although the full scale of the carnage would not become clear until hours later.
Florida A&M issued another statement shortly after 11pm expressing its condolences to those affected.
‘Our hearts go out to the victims and all those affected by this tragic incident,’ the university said.
‘While the campus remains safe, individuals are encouraged to avoid the area to allow law enforcement to conduct its investigation.’
