FAMU Homecoming Shooting Injures 12 Near Stadium
At least 12 people, including six children, were injured when gunfire broke out near Florida A&M University's Bragg Memorial Stadium during homecoming weekend, the Associated Press reported.
The Morning Brief Desk · October 26, 2026 · Based on reporting by AP News
Gunfire broke out near Florida A&M University's football stadium in Tallahassee during the school's homecoming weekend, injuring at least 12 people, the Associated Press reported. Six of the wounded were children, according to the AP.
The shooting happened outside Bragg Memorial Stadium as crowds gathered for homecoming festivities. The event draws large numbers of students, alumni and visitors to the campus each year, meaning the area around the stadium was filled with people when the shots were fired.
Early casualty counts differed between outlets. While the AP put the number of injured at a minimum of 12, USA Today reported that gunfire tore through the homecoming crowd and wounded 11 people. Both outlets agreed that children were among those hurt. USA Today reported that the shooting left the Tallahassee community in grief. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and key details -- including the circumstances that led to the gunfire, whether anyone has been taken into custody, and the conditions of the victims -- had not been reported in the material available.
The context
Florida A&M University, a public university in Tallahassee, Florida, holds an annual homecoming celebration that routinely brings large crowds of students, alumni and visitors to campus. Bragg Memorial Stadium, the school's football venue, serves as a focal point for those festivities, and the area outside the stadium was crowded when the shooting occurred.
The differing injury totals -- 12 in the AP's count, 11 in USA Today's -- reflect the fluid nature of initial reporting after mass casualty events, when figures from hospitals and law enforcement can shift as information is confirmed. Both outlets independently confirmed that children were among the wounded, a detail that stood out in early coverage. Beyond the location, the timing during homecoming weekend and the casualty counts, few specifics about how the shooting unfolded had been reported.
Why it matters
A shooting that wounds a dozen people, half of them children, at a major American university's signature annual event carries weight well beyond Tallahassee. Homecoming weekends are among the largest gatherings on college campuses, drawing families and alumni in addition to students, and the injuries to six children make the human toll especially broad. For FAMU and the surrounding community, which USA Today described as grieving, the shooting disrupts an event central to the university's identity. The incident is likely to drive national attention to questions of crowd safety at large campus events.
What’s next
The investigation is ongoing. Key questions remain open: who fired the shots, whether any arrests have been made, what prompted the gunfire, and the conditions of the 11 or 12 people wounded. A reconciled casualty count from authorities should clarify the discrepancy between the AP and USA Today figures. Watch for statements from Florida A&M University and Tallahassee law enforcement as more details are confirmed.
Sources
AP News — At least 12 people injured in shooting near Florida football stadium
At least 12 people, including six children, were injured in a shooting near Florida A&M's football stadium in Tallahassee during homecoming weekend.
USA Today — Gunfire tears through Florida A&M homecoming crowd, wounding 11
Gunfire tore through a homecoming crowd outside Florida A&M's Bragg Memorial Stadium, wounding multiple people including children and leaving the Tallahassee community in grief.
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