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.
Eleven victims were struck by gunfire after violence erupted near Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday night, sending frightened attendees running for safety.
Three of those wounded suffered serious injuries, including one person who was in critical condition. The other eight shooting victims were listed as stable.
Six juveniles were among the victims, with the youngest reported to be just 11 years old.
A 12th person, the grandmother of one of the victims, was hurt while fleeing in the panic that spread through crowds gathered for the university’s homecoming weekend.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell announced 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 between several individuals may have preceded the shooting, which took place shortly before 8pm near the intersection of Perry and Manatee streets, beside 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 packed homecoming celebrations
Police lights illuminate 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
By the midnight update, no arrests had been made. Authorities had not named any suspects or determined what triggered the confrontation.
The shooting happened soon after Florida A&M’s Rattlers lost their homecoming game to Arkansas-Pine Bluff, while large crowds remained in the surrounding streets.
Videos shared on social media showed the disorder that followed, with police 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 stretcher made from cloth.
Another video showed emergency responders using flashlights while treating a person on the ground, with frantic voices audible nearby.
Additional footage showed officers working to manage the crowds as debris and abandoned belongings remained scattered across the streets where people had fled.
‘Everybody ran; everybody cleared off,’ one witness was heard saying in a video.
Revell commended first responders, saying officers had to carry wounded people themselves because emergency vehicles could not get through the densely packed crowds.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: AFP Chief Says Motive Is Key to Probe Into Alleged Attack on MP
‘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.’