Fifteen-Year-Old Charged With 11 Attempted Murder Counts After Shooting Near Florida University Injures 12

Officials in Florida have charged a 15-year-old boy with 11 counts of attempted murder following a shooting at a college homecoming party on Saturday. The gunfire took place near the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (Famu) campus in Tallahassee.

Six adults and six minors were injured, all but one with gunshot wounds. The Tallahassee police department posted on Facebook on Monday that detectives had arrested a suspect in the Famu shooting. The agency identified the suspect as Anthony Rivers III, 15.

Police do not typically identify criminal suspects who are minors, though the severity of the charges facing Rivers made him an exception. He faces 11 charges of attempted second-degree murder and one of possession of a firearm by a delinquent after being arrested on Sunday, police said.

Tallahassee police chief Lawrence Revell said in a statement that the investigation into Saturday's shooting was ongoing, and further arrests were possible. He said: '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.' He added that while the arrest marks a significant step forward, their work is far from over, and they remain committed to holding those responsible accountable and getting answers for every family affected.

The department earlier said three of the victims were seriously wounded, with one in critical condition in hospital. Nine others had gunshot wounds, the agency said — and another person injured an ankle as they attempted to escape the gunfire.

The shooting took place just before 8pm on Saturday at an intersection near the university's Bragg Stadium, where a homecoming football game had just ended. Officers were on the scene quickly and carried some of those injured to safety through a mass of people, Revell said.

According to police, Rivers opened fire after an altercation between two groups of people who were known to each other. None of those struck was believed to have been an intended target, Revell said.

Revell on Sunday thanked members of the community who had come forward with cellphone video of the shooting and its aftermath, which he said was vital to investigative efforts.

The shooting was among five mass shootings over the weekend — cases in which at least four victims were wounded or killed, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The archive, a nonpartisan resource, has recorded 386 such cases in the US for the year so far. Famu president Marva Johnson posted a video message on X on Sunday condemning the 'senseless and despicable' violence of the night before, and said that as a neighbor and community partner, they are providing full assistance to the Tallahassee police department.