Who is Anthony Rivers III, the 15-year-old arrested for a shooting at a Florida A&M University party that left 11 people injured?

Tallahassee Police arrested a 15-year-old teenager for his alleged involvement in the shooting that took place Saturday night near Florida A&M University, in Florida, which left 12 people injured during the university's Homecoming celebrations. Eleven victims suffered gunshot wounds, and a twelfth suffered an ankle injury while trying to flee the gunfire. (Tallahassee Police Department)

The detainee was identified as Anthony Rivers III and arrested on Sunday, October 25. After consulting with State Attorney Jack Campbell, authorities filed 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder against him and one count of possession of a firearm by a minor classified as a delinquent offender. The investigation remains ongoing.

A fight is believed to have preceded the shooting

Initial investigations indicate that before the gunshots there was a physical altercation between people who knew each other. According to investigators, for the time being there is no indication that the victims were the intended targets of the attack.

The shooting occurred around 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, near the intersection of Perry and Manatee Streets, next to Bragg Memorial Stadium. The area was crowded after the football game between Florida A&M and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, played during Homecoming weekend.

In total, six adults and six minors were injured. Eleven suffered gunshot wounds and another person injured their ankle while fleeing. At least three of the victims had serious injuries. The youngest of those affected is 11 years old.

Videos shared on social media showed numerous people running to get to safety while gunshots could be heard.

The investigation remains ongoing

Police highlighted the community’s collaboration as an important element in moving the case forward. Investigators received testimonies, photographs, videos, and other digital evidence that helped identify the suspect.

Although the arrest represents progress in the investigation, authorities emphasized that they are still working to reconstruct what happened and determine whether more people were involved.

Police are not ruling out further arrests as they continue reviewing the evidence and following different leads. For now, they also have not established that the shooting was directly related to the game or the university, beyond its proximity to the stadium and its coincidence with the Homecoming celebrations.

For his part,  Anthony Rivers III, the alleged perpetrator of the October 24 mass shooting that left 11 people injured after FAMU’s homecoming game, is making his first appearance before a Leon County court.