TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Police sought information from the public Sunday, October 25, after a shooting near FAMU left 12 people injured during homecoming weekend. Six of those hurt were minors. The investigation and the university’s offer of counseling became the focus as families and students faced the aftermath of the shooting near FAMU.
The Tallahassee Police Department’s Sunday update said no deaths had been reported. Detectives were collecting physical evidence, reviewing digital material and trying to identify those responsible for the violence near Perry and Manatee streets.
What is known about the shooting
Police placed the shooting at about 8 p.m. Saturday, October 24. Their initial statement said 11 people had gunshot wounds and another person was injured during the incident. The victims included six adults and six minors. Investigators said a physical fight happened before the gunfire. Those findings remain preliminary.
The Associated Press reported Sunday that six people remained hospitalized that morning, including one in critical condition. AP also reported that police had announced no arrests as of Sunday morning. Those are time-specific updates, not a statement that every patient’s condition remained unchanged later in the day.
The shooting occurred near Bragg Memorial Stadium following the homecoming football celebration. Reports that describe the location as near FAMU should not be read as proof that the shooting happened on university property or that a student was responsible.
FAMU offers support and stresses the location
FAMU President Marva Johnson said in a Sunday video message that the shooting happened off university property and that Tallahassee police were leading the case. According to the Tallahassee Democrat’s account of her message, carried by Blue Water Healthy Living, Johnson said the university was assisting the investigation and had contacted injured members of its community.
She also recognized that students could be shaken even if they had not been close to the gunfire. Her message paired support for the victims and their families with information about counseling. Johnson said FAMU police helped victims and assisted other agencies in securing the campus.
WCTV reported Sunday that officials across Tallahassee and Florida expressed concern for the victims. FAMU football coach Quinn Gray also addressed the violence, emphasizing the family character of homecoming and saying that an argument is not worth a life.
Where students can find counseling
The university’s Office of Counseling Services lists services at no additional charge to currently enrolled students. The office is in Suite 304 of the CASS Building, 1735 Althea Gibson Way. Its phone number is 850-599-3145.
The posted hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 10:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday. For after-hours help, the university lists BetterMynd at 844-287-6963. People facing an immediate emergency should call 911.
FAMU’s counseling information page says students can call or visit to arrange an appointment. It also describes walk-in help for urgent concerns, including recent trauma. Individual counseling can be in person or virtual. Students do not need to decide on their own whether a reaction is serious enough before asking the office what help is available.
A university with a wider place in Black life
FAMU’s role reaches beyond its football program. The historically Black university traces its founding to October 3, 1887, when classes began with 15 students and two instructors. Its early mission expanded into agricultural and mechanical education, and later into a broader university.
That history helps explain why news from the campus community draws attention far beyond Florida, including among readers who follow Black higher education. The present investigation concerns the people responsible for a particular act of violence. It does not establish responsibility on the part of the university, its students or its alumni.
How to share information
Police opened a dedicated hotline, 850-891-4610, and linked an evidence-upload portal from their official update. People may also give anonymous information to Crime Solvers at 850-574-TIPS. The department asked for photos, video and other information that could help investigators.
Reporting note: This account uses official information and reporting available October 25. Victim conditions, arrests and investigative findings may change. The featured image is a symbolic, AI-generated campus illustration, not a photograph of FAMU or the shooting scene. Artwork: OpenAI for the Utica Phoenix.
