What We Know
FAMU Shooting: A 15-Year-Old Tried as an Adult
Video · 3:17 · Watch on YouTube
FAMU shooting: why is a 15-year-old being tried as an adult? A 15-year-old charged in the Oct. 24, 2026 shooting near Florida A&M University's homecoming game in Tallahassee will be prosecuted in adult court, State Attorney Jack Campbell announced on Oct. 26. He is charged, not convicted, and presumed innocent. Because he is a minor, we do not name or show him.
What's confirmed
- Sat., Oct. 24, 2026, about 8 p.m.police say a physical altercation came first near Perry and Manatee streets, beside Bragg Memorial Stadium, after FAMU's homecoming game. Then came gunfire. (Tallahassee Police Dept.; WFSU)
- 12 people were hurt11 by gunfire, 1 while fleeing. Six were under 18; the youngest was 11. No one died. (Tallahassee Police Dept.; ABC News; AP)
- Police say detectives believe it stemmed from a dispute between people who knew each other, and that none of the injured appear to have been the intended targets. (Tallahassee Police Dept. via WFSU, Oct. 26)
- Sun., Oct. 25police arrested a 15-year-old. He is charged with 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a delinquent. (Tallahassee Police Dept.; WFSU; AP; CBS12)
- Mon., Oct. 26State Attorney Jack Campbell announced the case will be prosecuted as an adult. (AP; ABC News)
- Mon., Oct. 26at a detention hearing, a judge held him in secure detention, with no contact with victims or witnesses, no social media, and monitored phone calls. (AP; WTXL)
- Campbell told FOX 49 his office files directly in adult court for murder "once or twice a year," and in cases like this "only a few times a year." (FOX 49, Oct. 26)
- Florida law (s. 985.557) lets a state attorney file directly in adult court for a 14- or 15-year-old on listed felonies, including attempts, when "in the state attorney's judgment and discretion the public interest requires" it. (Florida Statutes)
The research
- In April 2003, the Community Preventive Services Task Force (supported by the CDC) recommended against laws that make it easier to transfer juveniles to adult court as a way to reduce violence. Its review found transferred youth were more likely to be re-arrested for a violent or other crime than youth kept in the juvenile system. (The Community Guide)
- The CDC lists youth-violence prevention strategies including securely storing firearms, mentoring and apprenticeship programs, street outreach and after-school programs. (CDC)
What we don't know
- The evidence. The arrest affidavit was sealed at police request. (WTXL)
- The defense's position. We found no public statement from his lawyers.
- Whether more people will be arrested. Police say more arrests are possible.
What happens next
- The arraignment had been set for Nov. 16; Campbell expects the date to change as the case moves to adult court. We will add a dated UPDATE here when it does.
Chapters
- 0:00FAMU shooting: 15-year-old tried as an adult
- 0:14FAMU homecoming shooting: what happened
- 0:51FAMU shooting: charges and the adult-court call
- 1:36Florida adult court for teens: what changes
- 2:06Youth violence prevention: what research says
- 2:44FAMU shooting case: where it stands
Sources
- Tallahassee Police Dept. Primary recordtalgov.com/Main/News/6100
- WFSU (Oct. 26, 2026) Reportingnews.wfsu.org/wfsu-local-news/2026-10-26/tallahassee-have-arrested-a-teen-in-saturdays-mass-shooting-near-famu
- ABC News Reportingabcnews.com/US/famu-shooting-15-year-arrested-connection/story?id=137567977
- FOX 49 (Oct. 26, 2026) Reportingfox49.tv/news/local/15-year-old-charged-as-adult-in-shooting-near-famu-homecoming-faces-11-counts
- Florida Statutes s. 985.557 Primary recordleg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0900-0999/0985/Sections/0985.557.html
- The Community Guide Primary recordthecommunityguide.org/findings/violence-policies-facilitating-transfer-juveniles-adult-justice-systems
- CDC, youth violence prevention Primary recordcdc.gov/youth-violence/prevention/
The record · as of Nov. 2, 2026
How we know
Primary records are court and agency documents; reporting is news coverage we checked against them. How we report.
What happens next
- FAMU shooting: arraignment (initially Nov. 16; expected to change)
Verified timeline
- 2003-04-01Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends against laws facilitating transfer of juveniles to adult court as a means of reducing violence; transferred youth had more subsequent violence. Finding dated Apr 2003 (confirm on page at render).Community Guide; Am J Prev Med 2007 (PubMed 18046302)
- 2016-01-01Counterweight for equal-weight research: a 2016 systematic review (9 studies) found juvenile transfer had no statistically significant pooled effect on recidivism, with highly heterogeneous results; the CPSTF (2003) recommends against transfer to reduce violence. Script line 'transferred youth went on to more violence' should be softened to 'were more likely to be re-arrested, per the Task Force' and note the 2016 mixed result.OJP/NCJRS; Community Guide
- 2026-10-24Police say that about 8 p.m. Saturday, near Perry and Manatee streets by FAMU's Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee after the homecoming game, 12 people were hurt: 11 by gunfire and 1 who hurt an ankle fleeing. TPD counts 6 adults and 6 juveniles. No deaths reported.TPD release talgov.com/Main/News/6100; WFSU 2026-10-26; FOX 49
- 2026-10-24Police say a physical altercation came first, and detectives believe the incident stemmed from a dispute between individuals known to one another. Chief Lawrence Revell: 'None of the victims appear to have been the intended targets.'TPD release; WFSU 2026-10-26
- 2026-10-25Police arrested a 15-year-old Sunday. Charged with 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a delinquent. Charged, not convicted; presumed innocent. Not named (minor).TPD release; WFSU 2026-10-26; FOX 49
- 2026-10-26State Attorney Jack Campbell said his office is pursuing prosecution in adult court (direct file); he said filing takes several days to move the case from juvenile to adult court, and that direct-filing for murder happens about once or twice a year. Announcement by the State Attorney, not a court order.FOX 49 (updated 2026-10-27); AP/Yahoo and ABC (earlier pass)
- 2026-10-26At a Monday detention hearing before Judge Andrew Sheeran in juvenile court, the 15-year-old was held in secure detention with no contact with victims or witnesses, no social media, monitored calls. NOT an adult-court transfer order.AP/Yahoo; WTXL (earlier pass, not re-fetched; FOX 49 confirms Monday court appearance)
- 2026-10-26Florida s. 985.557 lets a state attorney file directly in adult court for a 14- or 15-year-old on listed felonies including attempted murder when the public interest requires; no judicial hearing precedes it under (1)(a).Fla. Stat. 985.557 (leg.state.fl.us)
- 2026-10-27Fla. Stat. 985.557(1)(a): for a child 14 or 15 at the time of the alleged offense, the state attorney may file an information (adult court) when in the state attorney's judgment and discretion the public interest requires adult sanctions, and the offense charged is a listed felony (incl. murder, attempt, and using a firearm during a felony). Use (1)(a), not (1)(b).Florida Legislature
Also in our research file
- Effects on violence of laws and policies facilitating transfer of youth (Am J Prev Med 2007) Primary recordPubMed / AJPM
- Juvenile transfer and the specific deterrence hypothesis: systematic review and meta-analysis Primary recordOJP / NCJRS
- OJJDP: transfer laws and deterrence Primary recordOJJDP
- CDC youth violence prevention strategies Primary recordCDC
- State Attorney Jack Campbell official portrait (Commons, public domain) Primary recordWikimedia Commons / Office of the State Attorney
- 15-year-old arrested in Florida A&M shooting ReportingWINK News
- 15-year-old charged in mass shooting near FAMU stadium ReportingNews4JAX / CNN / AP
Updates and corrections
Also: Associated Press; WTXL; CBS12.
Photos: Office of the State Attorney, 2nd Judicial Circuit; Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA). Map: U.S. Census TIGER; OpenStreetMap contributors.
The 15-year-old is charged, not convicted, and is presumed innocent. He is a minor and is not named or shown. No injured person is named.
Our first video on this shooting is on the channel.
Spot an error? Email corrections@undercurrentdaily.com. See our corrections policy. Have information about this case? Contact the investigating agency first.
