A 15-year-old has been arrested in connection with the shooting followingthe FAMU homecoming shooting that left 12 people injured near Florida A&M University, according to Tallahassee police.
The shooting happened Saturday night near Perry and Manatee streets, close to Bragg Memorial Stadium, several hours after Florida A&M played its Homecoming football game.
Police announced Monday that Anthony Rivers III had been arrested and charged with 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder and one firearm possession charge.
Eleven people suffered gunshot wounds. A 12th person was injured while trying to escape the area.
Six of those injured were adults and six were minors. Police previously said the youngest victim was 11 years old.
No deaths have been reported. The shooting happened during one of the busiest weekends of the year for the HBCU, with thousands of students, alumni and visitors in Tallahassee for FAMU Homecoming.
Police say victims were not intended targets
Investigators now believe the shooting followed a physical altercation involving people who knew one another.
However, Tallahassee police said none of the 11 people who were shot appear to have been the intended targets.
That detail is one of the most significant developments in the investigation since the shooting.
“What should have been a weekend of celebration in our community instead became a night of fear and violence for the victims and their families,” Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said.
Police said Rivers was arrested Sunday following consultation with the state attorney’s office. The investigation remains active, and authorities said additional arrests are possible. Detectives are reviewing video, physical evidence and information submitted by people who were in the area.
Police have also asked the public to continue providing photographs, videos and other evidence that could assist investigators.
Florida A&M responds after Homecoming shooting
Florida A&M University issued safety alerts Saturday night advising people to avoid the area near Bragg Memorial Stadium and Perry Street.
The university later said the shooting happened near campus while emphasizing that the campus itself remained secure.
Authorities have not said the shooting began inside Bragg Memorial Stadium or that it was directly connected to the football game. Police also have not said FAMU students were responsible for the violence.
FAMU’s Homecoming celebration ran throughout the week and included concerts, alumni events, a parade and Saturday’s football game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The shooting happened after the game had ended. The university resumed classes Monday and made counseling services available to students following the incident.
Investigation continues
Tallahassee police said officers responded while victims still needed medical attention.
Some injured people were carried to safety and transported for treatment before the scene was fully secured.
Police established a dedicated tip line at 850-891-4610 for information related to the case.
The department is also accepting digital evidence from people who may have recorded the shooting or events leading up to it.
The incident has already created concern beyond the immediate investigation.
Some Florida A&M Homecoming vendors and visitors have publicly questioned whether they will return for future celebrations after the shooting.
That concern adds another layer to the story for Florida A&M, where Homecoming remains one of the university’s largest cultural and economic events of the year.
For now, police say the investigation remains open.
Rivers faces multiple felony charges, but those charges remain allegations unless proven in court.