A celebratory homecoming weekend at Florida A&M University turned into a scene of chaos and tragedy Saturday night, leading to the arrest of a 15-year-old boy on more than a dozen felony charges.
The Tallahassee Police Department announced Sunday that Anthony Rivers III was taken into custody following a mass shooting outside Bragg Memorial Stadium. Rivers is facing 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a delinquent.
The gunfire erupted shortly after the conclusion of the university’s homecoming football game against the University of Arkansas. While the school’s football team suffered a narrow 31-28 loss on the field, the violence that followed in the streets near the stadium overshadowed the athletic competition.
According to Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell, the shooting was the result of a physical altercation between “individuals known to one another.” As the dispute escalated, shots were fired into the surrounding area. Investigators currently believe that none of the 11 people who were struck by bullets were the intended targets of the shooter, but were instead bystanders caught in the crossfire.
The toll of the violence was particularly heavy on young people in the community. Out of the 11 people injured by gunfire, six were juveniles, including a child as young as 11 years old. In addition to the shooting victims, authorities reported that a grandmother was also injured as she attempted to flee the scene during the panic. While the injuries vary in severity, police confirmed that no deaths have been reported in connection with the incident.
“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,” Chief Revell said in a statement following the arrest. He emphasized that while the apprehension of the 15-year-old suspect is a significant step forward, the investigation remains active as authorities work to ensure full accountability for everyone involved.
The shooting took place off-campus, though its proximity to the stadium and its timing during the peak of homecoming festivities sent shockwaves through the university community. Police have not explicitly linked the violence to the game itself, but the incident occurred as crowds were dispersing from the stadium area on Saturday night.
Tallahassee authorities have pledged to continue their work in getting answers for the families impacted. Rivers remains in custody as the legal process begins for the 12 total felony counts filed against him.
