11 shot near FAMU stadium during homecoming, youngest victim is 11 years old

Eleven people were shot and a twelfth was hurt fleeing the scene outside Florida A&M University's Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday evening, just hours after the university's homecoming football game ended — leaving one victim in critical condition and an 11-year-old among the wounded.

I stand before you devastated.— Lawrence Revell, Tallahassee Chief of Police

Chief Revell addressed reporters at a press conference just after midnight Sunday, confirming that of the 12 people injured, 11 had gunshot wounds. Six victims were adults and six were juveniles. Three sustained serious injuries, one of whom remained in critical condition. Eight others were reported stable. By Sunday morning, five of the twelve had been released from the hospital; six remained hospitalized, including the critical patient, according to WCTV.

Six are adults and six are juveniles. We know our youngest victim is 11 years old. At least three of our victims have sustained serious injuries and one of those is in critical condition. Eight of those are reported to be in stable condition.— Lawrence Revell, Tallahassee Chief of Police

The shooting broke out just before 8 p.m. near the intersection of Perry and Manatee streets — a few steps from Bragg Memorial Stadium — after FAMU's homecoming game against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions had concluded around 6 p.m. Police said early findings indicate the gunfire began with a physical altercation involving two or three people. Revell described the incident as isolated. No arrests have been made and no person of interest has been identified.

The twelfth person injured was, according to Chief Revell, a grandmother of one of the shooting victims, who hurt herself while running from the scene. Revell also said he believes one of the shooting victims is a FAMU student.

Two dozen officers were already deployed in the area when the shots were fired, Revell said, because the entire force was on duty for the busy homecoming weekend.

We heard a couple gunshots, saw a crowd of people running, in the midst of that I had gotten trampled a little bit. As I was getting up, I turned to my right and saw a person lying out on the ground.— Jayden Dubois, FAMU student and eyewitness

FAMU issued a statement saying the campus itself remained safe and urging people to avoid the area to allow law enforcement to work. Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey addressed the university community directly.

This is a truly horrific and heartbreaking tragedy. Tonight and in the days ahead, the FAMU family is not alone. Our entire community stands with you.— John Dailey, Mayor of Tallahassee

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Tallahassee Police Department or Crime Solvers at (850) 574-TIPS. The investigation is ongoing.

Why it matters — A mass shooting involving six children at a major university homecoming event raises urgent questions about public safety at large gatherings and leaves a community searching for answers with no arrests made.

Reported by washingtonpost.com, usatoday.com, reuters.com, tallahassee.com, abcnews.com, wctv.tv