Tallahassee police searching for suspect who fired into crowd on FAMU campus; 1 dead, 4 hurt

A lone shooter opened fire on a group of young people playing basketball Sunday afternoon at Florida A&M University, leaving one man dead, four others injured and police scrambling to find a suspect.

The incident marked a grim end to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend — and Tallahassee’s second mass shooting in less than a month. It happened around 4:30 p.m. outside the Hansel Tookes Student Recreation Center, 2101 Wahnish Way, according to the Tallahassee Police Department.

“A suspect walked toward the outdoor basketball courts and began shooting into a crowd," TPD said in a Monday news release. “When the shooting occurred, there were more than a dozen people at the basketball courts both playing and watching the games.”

More than a dozen shots were fired, said TPD spokesperson Alicia Hill.

All five victims were taken to a local hospital, where one man died from his injuries, said TPD spokesperson Heather Merritt. Three other adult men and a 16-year-old boy remained hospitalized as of Monday morning. The four, whose injuries range from minor to serious, are expected to survive.

No arrests have been made and no suspect identified, TPD said. The department did not issue a suspect description or say whether a vehicle was involved.

"The motive for the shooting remains unclear, as well as who the intended target of the shooting was," TPD said. "This incident remains an open and active investigation and updates will be provided as they become available."

Michael Williams, who lives in an apartment across the street from the scene, came home from work about a half hour after the shooting. He noticed the heavy police presence and assumed there had been a car accident until a neighbor told him that “someone got murdered.”

“To tell you the truth, I wasn’t surprised,” said Williams, a housekeeper at a local hotel. “Every time you turn around, there’s a shootout. We all have to be careful, we all have to watch our backs around here. It’s dangerous.”

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Williams called the shooting “crazy” and another example of gun violence run amok in Tallahassee. He noted the Oct. 29 mass shooting on West Pensacola Street that left one dead and eight injured during what was supposed to be a festive weekend of homecoming and football. Police have arrested three men on murder charges in that shooting.

“Technically, I’m in fear, but I’m not in fear,” Williams said. “It’s like I’m used to it.”

Campus shooting prompts FAMU to review safety and security protocols

FAMU officials said none of the victims were students and that there was no “ongoing threat” to the university. However, FAMU said it is reviewing its campus security measures as a result.

“The safety and security of our students, and the campus is our highest priority,” FAMU President Larry Robinson said in a news release “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

Robinson said FAMU’s Campus Safety Department, located just blocks from the shooting scene, is assisting TPD as the investigation continues. FAMU noted that in recent years, it installed more than 1,500 surveillance cameras and erected a fence along the southwest perimeter of the campus as part of security upgrades.

“Footage from those cameras and plate readers (are) playing a role in the ongoing investigation,” the university said.

FAMU officials said that the Recreation Center was closed at the time of the shooting. In response, the university is “reviewing and revising” its use of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities and “readdressing signage” regarding surveillance cameras.

Flip flops and a football left behind by panicked victims and bystanders

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, police cordoned off an area between the recreation center gymnasium and nearby soccer fields, which includes tennis courts and three basketball courts. Investigators put down more than two dozen evidence markers.

"At this time, we do not believe there to be an immediate threat to public safety," read a TPD incident alert.

A shelter-in-place alert was sent to students Sunday notifying them about an armed shooter on campus. A subsequent statement from FAMU asked the community to "remain aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activity."

There was little indication Monday morning of the violence that occurred only hours earlier at the basketball courts. Flip flops, a football and other personal belongings left behind by panicked victims and bystanders were gathered up by police and left behind on a picnic table.

USA TODAY defines a mass shooting as an incident where at least four people are hit with gunfire, even if there are no fatalities. Mass killing refers to an incident in which at least four people are killed.

So far this year, 18 people have been killed and at least 85 injured in 101 shootings in the capital in Tallahassee and Leon County, according to a Tallahassee Democrat analysis.

Detectives are encouraging any witnesses or others with information to come forward by calling the anonymous Crime Stoppers line at 850-574-TIPS or TPD at 850-891-4200.

Contact Christopher Cann at ccann@tallahassee.com and follow @ChrisCannFL on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee police: Suspect at large after shooting 5 people at FAMU