FAMU Homecoming Shooting in Tallahassee Leaves 11 Shot, Six of Them Children

Eleven people were shot near Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium on Saturday night, hours after the school’s homecoming football game, in a burst of gunfire that left six children among the wounded. Police in Tallahassee said a twelfth person was hurt while fleeing the scene, and no one has been arrested.

The FAMU homecoming shooting broke out just before 8 p.m. on Saturday, 24 October 2026, at the intersection of Perry and Manatee streets, beside the stadium. The Tallahassee Police Department took the first call at 8:02 p.m. Six of the wounded are juveniles, and the youngest victim is 11 years old, Police Chief Lawrence Revell told reporters at a news conference after midnight.

One of the people shot is a Florida A&M student. No one was killed.

FAMU homecoming shooting: what happened near Bragg Memorial Stadium

The shooting came hours after the Rattlers’ homecoming game, in which Arkansas–Pine Bluff beat Florida A&M 31–28 at Bragg Memorial Stadium. Homecoming crowds were still in the area when the gunfire started, and the surrounding blocks were packed with students, alumni and families celebrating one of the biggest weekends of the year for the historically Black university.

Police said their preliminary information shows a physical altercation between two or three individuals came before the gunfire. Revell called it an isolated incident and said investigators believe one shooter was involved. Police have not connected the shooting to the game itself, and they have not identified a motive.

About two dozen officers were already in the area when the shots were fired, Revell said, because the department had staffed the busy homecoming weekend heavily. Some officers carried victims in their arms to reach transport because the crowds blocked the way for vehicles.

The department’s Violent Crimes Unit is leading the investigation, and detectives and forensic personnel worked the scene through the night. Revell said: “We’re still working the scene. As our detectives work to determine exactly what happened and identify those responsible, we remain committed to getting answers for these families.”

Hospital update: five released, six still in hospital

In a statement on Sunday morning, the Tallahassee Police Department said five victims had been released from hospital, while six remained in hospital — and of those still being treated, one remains in critical condition, CNN reported. At the overnight briefing, police had said three victims were seriously injured, one of them in critical condition, and eight were stable.

The twelfth person injured was the grandmother of one of the gunshot victims, hurt while running from the scene, Revell said.

“I stand before you tonight devastated,” Revell said at the late-night news conference. “We hurt with you, and we will continue to get you the answers you so desperately want.”

University and city respond

Florida A&M sent a campus safety alert at 8:40 p.m. telling people to shelter in place and avoid the area near the stadium. In a statement late on Saturday, the university said it was aware of an incident that occurred near campus on Perry Street on the evening of October 24 and added: “Our hearts go out to the victims and all those affected by this tragic incident. While the campus remains safe, individuals are encouraged to avoid the area to allow law enforcement to conduct its investigation.”

Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey called the shooting a “truly horrific and heartbreaking tragedy” and said the FAMU family was not alone. Florida State University, about a mile away, also issued an emergency alert; the Associated Press reported it did not appear anyone from its school community was involved.

The shooting fell in the middle of FAMU’s 2026 homecoming celebration, which ran from 18 to 25 October under the theme “There’s No Place Like The Hill”. The university held its annual parade on Saturday morning before the football game and other weekend activities.

What is still unknown about the FAMU homecoming shooting

As of Sunday morning, police had not released the names of the victims, announced any arrests or named a person of interest. What is not yet known: who fired the shots, why the altercation started, and whether anyone involved was connected to the homecoming festivities.

Police are asking anyone who saw anything to come forward: the Tallahassee Police Department can be reached at 850-891-4200, and anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Solvers at 850-574-TIPS.

The FAMU homecoming shooting drew national coverage within hours, with the Associated Press, Reuters, CNN and USA Today among the outlets reporting from Tallahassee as police released information overnight. The investigation remains active, and police said information could change as detectives interview witnesses and review evidence.

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