A dozen people were injured Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium after a gunman opened fire at the homecoming football game. The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) said that at least 11 of those injured were shot and three of them were suffering from serious injuries. No arrests have been made yet.
FAMU Homecoming Shooting
Florida A&M University (FAMU) was celebrating its homecoming Saturday by hosting the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions in the annual football game when an unnamed assailant began shooting around 8 p.m. The incident unfolded at the intersection of Perry and Manatee Street adjacent to the stadium.
Authorities say that no arrests have been made, nor is anyone in custody, but they believe only one shooter was involved. Among the 12 injured victims, six of them were under 18 years old, with the youngest being 11, and most are in stable condition, Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said at a news conference Sunday morning.
The victims were not identified, but Revell said it is believed that one of them was a student at FAMU. He also clarified that the single victim who was not shot during the incident was injured while fleeing the scene.
“Our preliminary information shows that an altercation occurred between individuals,” he added, saying it was “an isolated incident between two or three individuals.”
“Our priority is to determine what happened and why it happened, and to bring the people that are responsible for this to justice,” he added, asking for witnesses to come forward with any information.
Emergency Alerts Sent Out
Shortly after the shooting occurred, FAMU issued a statement on X telling members of the community to stay away from the area. They wrote the incident took place “near campus,” but told those staying on campus it was safe.
“Our hearts are with the victims and everyone affected by tonight’s incident on Perry Street,” FAMU said.
Florida State University, being a mile away from FAMU, issued an emergency alert to its community about the violence at the nearby campus. It said it did not believe anyone in its school community was involved, but urged people to be aware of their surroundings.
“As a precaution, students, faculty and staff in the Tallahassee area are advised to remain indoors this evening and stay alert,” it said.
Shooter Still at Large
The investigation is still active, and police are looking for any witnesses to come forward with any information they believe may be pertinent to the violence that shook the community on Saturday.
At the end of the conference, Revell offered condolences to the victims and their families. He also commended the officers who ran “into the middle of this, still not knowing where the shooters were, still not knowing how many victims we had.”
“We had officers that were picking up victims and carrying them in their arms to transport victims because they couldn’t get through the mass of people,” he said.
Public Concern With FAMU Events
The shooting occurred in an area popular with vendors who set up during FAMU’s homecoming football games each year. Stephanie Walters helps operate the HBCU Culture Shop, which has been open annually at the game for the last nine years, and reported hearing multiple gunshots Saturday evening.
“It’s unfortunate because beyond business-wise, people are just scared,” Walters said. “If you were out here, you heard the shots; it was a lot of gunshots. It was no doubt in my mind that someone was injured.”
Walters said that while she has been traveling from Tampa to Tallahassee for the last nine years to open the shop during FAMU’s homecoming, this year’s incident has left her questioning whether she will be back next year.
“I’m not necessarily worried about if we’re able to come back; I’m more so worried about if we want to come back,” Walters said. “You want to be able to be in community with your people, you want to be able to have the homecoming traditions, but you have to be safe. I don’t want to have to be concerned that the next time I show up, I may not leave.”
