A 15-year-old boy is facing 11 attempted murder charges after gunfire erupted near Florida A&M University during homecoming weekend, leaving 12 people injured, including six children, the youngest just 11 years old.
Anthony Rivers III was arrested Sunday in connection with the Saturday night shooting in Tallahassee, police announced Monday. He faces 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder and a charge of possession of a firearm by a delinquent.
Rivers appeared in court Monday morning, where a judge ordered him to remain in custody.
Authorities warned that additional arrests could follow as detectives continue investigating the violence, which broke out around 8 p.m. near Perry and Manatee streets, outside Bragg Memorial Stadium.
The shooting occurred after Florida A&M’s homecoming football game, as crowds gathered in the surrounding area.
Investigators believe a fight involving individuals who knew one another erupted shortly before shots rang out, sending bystanders scrambling for safety.
Police said none of the victims appeared to have been the intended targets.
Eleven people were struck by gunfire, while a 12th suffered an ankle injury while attempting to escape the chaos.
The Tallahassee Police Department reported Sunday that six shooting victims remained hospitalized, including one in critical condition. Five others had been released.
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Authorities initially reported that at least three victims suffered serious injuries, while nine of the 12 injured people were in stable condition.
The violence cast a shadow over Florida A&M’s homecoming celebrations, which traditionally draw students, alumni and families to Tallahassee for a weekend of festivities.
University officials stressed that the shooting occurred near campus, not on university grounds, and said the campus remained safe.
Florida A&M President Marva Johnson condemned the attack Sunday, expressing her “outrage and profound sadness at the senseless and despicable shooting” near the university.
“To all the victims, please know that we are with you and we are praying for your recovery, in body, mind and spirit,” Johnson said in a video statement.
FAMU head football coach Quinn Gray also spoke out, denouncing the violence in a Facebook post and declaring that the “senseless violence has to stop.”
Gray stressed that no dispute or confrontation could justify putting innocent lives in danger, particularly during an event meant to bring the university community together.
“Homecoming is about family. It’s about coming home to celebrate everything FAMU means to us,” he said. “No one should leave our celebration in an ambulance, and no child should ever be caught in gunfire.”
Police have not established a connection between the shooting and the football game itself.
The investigation remains active as authorities work to determine whether other suspects were involved.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
