Teen, 15, Arrested Over Tallahassee Shooting Near FAMU

Police in Tallahassee, Florida, have arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with the shooting near Florida A&M University (FAMU) that left 12 people hurt after a homecoming football game, the city’s police department said. The FAMU shooting arrest was announced on Monday morning (Oct 26) US time, a day after detectives took the teenager into custody on Sunday (Oct 25).

According to the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD), the arrest followed consultation with State Attorney Jack Campbell. The boy is not being named because he is a minor.

Charges in FAMU shooting arrest

The teenager faces 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder and a charge of possession of a firearm by a delinquent, police said.

The shooting broke out at about 8pm on Saturday (Oct 24) near Perry and Manatee streets, just outside FAMU’s Bragg Memorial Stadium, after the university’s homecoming game. Police said preliminary findings show a physical altercation took place before shots were fired.

Detectives believe the violence stemmed from a dispute between people who knew one another. Police added that, at this stage of the investigation, none of the victims appear to have been the intended targets.

Victims include children

Twelve people were injured, six of them children, ABC News reported. Eleven suffered gunshot wounds, while the twelfth, the grandmother of one of the victims, was hurt while fleeing the scene, according to Police Chief Lawrence Revell.

At a late-night press conference after the shooting, Revell said the youngest victim was 11 years old and that at least three people had serious injuries, one of them critical. In an update on Sunday morning, police said six victims remained in hospital, one in critical condition, while five had been released.

FAMU President Marva B. Johnson said in a video statement on Sunday afternoon that the shooting did not happen on campus and that the university was offering care and support to members of its community who were hurt. Local broadcaster WFSU reported that students returning to class were being offered free counselling.

Investigation remains open

Revell said the homecoming weekend should have been a celebration but “instead became a night of fear and violence” for the victims and their families. He said the arrest was a significant step forward but that police work was far from over.

Police said the case remains an open and active investigation and that more arrests are possible, with detectives continuing to pursue leads and review evidence. No court date for the teenager was given in the reports. Anyone with information has been asked to call the TPD tip line at 850-891-4610 or use the department’s online evidence portal.

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Tallahassee Shooting Near FAMU Leaves 12 Hurt, Six of Them Minors