5 min read
Major Takeaways
- Police announced the FAMU shooting arrest on Monday, one day after taking a 15 year old into custody.
- The teen faces 11 counts of attempted second degree murder and will be charged as an adult.
- Eleven people were shot on Saturday night and six victims remained in the hospital on Monday.
- Four of the people shot are Leon County Schools students, and counselors are available at school.
- Detectives say more arrests are possible and community tips helped move the case forward.
The FAMU shooting arrest came Monday with a promise that the work is not done.
Tallahassee police said a 15 year old boy is charged in the Saturday night shooting.
Eleven people were wounded by gunfire outside Bragg Memorial Stadium after homecoming.
State Attorney Jack Campbell said the teen will be charged as an adult.
That decision moves a case born in celebration into the hardest questions a community can face.
A child is accused of shooting into a crowd of families.
Children as young as 11 were among the people hit.
FAMU Shooting Arrest Brings the First Charges
Police named the suspect as Anthony Rivers III, age 15.
Detectives took him into custody on Sunday, one day after the shooting.
He faces 11 counts of attempted second degree murder.
He also faces a charge of possession of a firearm by a delinquent.
Rivers appeared in court on Monday for the first time.
Leon Circuit Judge Andrew Sheeran ordered him held in secure detention.
The judge said the detention was required given the nature of the charges.
Rivers will move from the Juvenile Assessment Center to the Leon County Detention Facility.
The judge barred him from any contact with victims or witnesses.
His calls from detention will be monitored unless he is speaking with his attorney.
A judge also sealed the arrest affidavit at the request of police.
Police said sealing the document protects an investigation that is still active.
What Happened on Saturday Night
The gunfire erupted just before 8 p.m. on Saturday.
It happened near Perry Street and Manatee Street behind the stadium.
Florida A and M had just lost its homecoming game to Arkansas Pine Bluff.
Crowds were still leaving the game and the homecoming celebration.
Eleven people were hit by gunfire in the chaos.
One more person was injured while running away from the scene.
Six of the injured are juveniles and six are adults.
The youngest person hurt is 11 years old.
Police Chief Lawrence Revell said none of the victims appear to have been intended targets.
Investigators say a fight broke out before the shooting.
The dispute involved people who knew one another, police said.
Detectives believe there was a single shooter in the incident.
Read our first report on the homecoming shooting that left 12 injured for the full first night account.
Six Victims Remain in the Hospital
Six victims remained hospitalized on Monday, including one in critical condition.
At least three of the victims suffered serious injuries.
Leon County Schools confirmed that four students were among the people shot.
The district declined to name the students or their schools.
It said Rivers was not enrolled at one of its high schools.
Counselors are available for students affected by the violence.
Revell spoke to the weight of the weekend in a Monday statement.
“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,” Revell said.
“While this arrest marks a significant step forward, our work is far from over,” he said.
Community Tips Helped Build the Case
Police said a significant influx of information poured in from the community.
Tips and digital evidence from the public were vital to the investigation.
Officers had asked witnesses to share cellphone video from the scene.
Detectives continue to pursue leads and review evidence this week.
Police said additional arrests are possible as the work continues.
The arraignment date now on the calendar will likely change.
The case is moving from juvenile court into adult court.
That shift raises the stakes for a 15 year old defendant.
It also raises hard questions about how a child got a gun.
Those questions sit at the center of this case for Black families.
Why This Case Hits Home for Black Families
Homecoming at a Black college is sacred ground for our community.
Generations return to the Hill to celebrate family, faith and football.
On Saturday that joy ended with parents searching for their children.
An 11 year old went to a football celebration and came home shot.
Four local school students now carry wounds into their classrooms.
The accused shooter is himself a child of 15.
Every part of that sentence should trouble this country.
Accountability matters, and the court process will now test the evidence.
Prevention matters just as much, and it starts long before a trigger is pulled.
Communities need real answers on guns reaching the hands of children.
Families in Tallahassee deserve safety at the events that bind them together.
Follow the latest coverage in our News section and our Sports coverage as this case moves through court.
Urban City Podcast will update this story as victims recover and the case proceeds.
