By Jeff Burlew, Byron Dobson, St. Clair Murraine Democrat Staff Writers
Updated 2:15 p.m.
Rattler running back Lonvontae Page, who was wounded when shots were fired Saturday night on the campus of Florida A&M University, was released from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital early Sunday morning, but will have to undergo surgery Wednesday, Rattler head coach Joe Taylor. A stray bullet shattered a bone in one of Page’s wrists, Taylor said. The injury will keep Page out for the rest of the season. Page, a sophomore, started at running back Saturday night and had 20 carries for 61 yards. He also scored a touchdown. FAMU police arrested a 17-year-old boy Sunday morning on three counts each of felony battery using a deadly weapon, firing a weapon in public and crimes against persons in connection with the shots fired, Police Chief Calvin Ross said. Two other people were taken into custody but have not been arrested. Ross said the investigation is continuing and more arrests are possible. Page, his mother and his 14-year-old cousin were walking near Howard Hall on Wahnish Way when gunshots rang out across the street near Gibbs Hall, according to FAMU police officials, athletic officials and witnesses. It happened about 10:20 p.m. The incident should not reflect on FAMU’s safety measures, SGA president Gallop Franklin said. Franklin said he feels the university has taken steps to ensure student safety. He mentioned the text messages that were sent shortly after Saturday night’s shooting on campus. “Our No. 1 priority is the safety of the student body,” Franklin said Sunday morning. “We have mechanisms in place for a myriad of situations to make sure our students remain safe. Generally, students do feel safe on campus. It’s kind of hard to control miscellaneous activities like this where students weren’t involved. It was unfortunate that a young man was injured. My prayers go out to the injured and their families.”
Previous report
Florida A&M University Police Chief Calvin Ross says football fans should not be afraid to go to games at Bragg Stadium even though some are expressing apprehension following a Saturday-night campus shooting that injured three people, including football player Lonvontae Page. "People should be alert but certainly not fearful to the point that they avoid games," Ross said this morning in an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat. "This is at best isolated. The involved parties had no affiliation with FAMU except for the victims." Ross added that people should be alert anytime they're at a public event or in a large crowd. "This is the sign of our times now where we have a lot of violent incidents taking part in the streets of our city," he said. "But law enforcement is committed to ensuring the safety and security of visitors to any of our events on campus in general." Ross said security at football games includes Tallahassee and FAMU police officers, the Florida Highway Patrol and security guards. "We had a good contingency of security personnel in place, which I believe also led to the swift apprehension of these individuals," he said. A 17-year-old boy was arrested this morning on three counts each of felony battery using a deadly weapon, firing a weapon in public and crimes against persons, Ross said. Two other people were taken into custody but have not been arrested. Ross said the investigation is continuing and more arrests are possible. Ross blamed the violence on people coming onto campus from outside the FAMU community. "We have these thugs that are coming onto our campus creating this uproar," he said. He added, "Needless to say, officers are going to be extra vigilent as a result of this." Check back with Tallahassee.com for more on this story.
updated 11:10 a.m.
Florida A&M University police have arrested a 17-year-old Tallahassee boy in connection with a multiple shooting Saturday night after the Rattlers’ first home football game of the season. Officers from the FAMU Police Department and Tallahassee police arrested the boy at a residence on Tram Road early this morning. He was arrested on three counts of crimes against persons, three counts of felony battery using a deadly weapon and three counts of firing or discharging a weapon in public, said FAMU Police Chief Calvin Ross. The boy was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center. Under Florida law, he will have a first appearance before a judge within 24 hours of his arrest. Ross said police are still investigating the incident and that there’s a possibility that other arrests will be made. The boy also had a warrant for his arrest in another case, Ross said. “In the eight years that I have been chief, this is the first incident of this nature at any of our games,” Ross said. “This is really unusual and not the norm.” Ross said police got the report of shots being fired about 10:20 p.m., more than an hour after the game against Delaware State ended. It occurred in the parking lot of Gibbs Hall on Wahnish Way, directly across Bragg Stadium. It was more than an hour after FAMU’s home football opener against Delaware State ended. Ross said police believe the boy was involved in an argument with others who are not students when shots were fired. FAMU football player Lonvontae Page was struck in the wrist by a ricochet bullet. FAMU officials said his 14-year-old cousin was “grazed” in the chin. “Page and his cousin were walking in the area with (Page’s mother) and family members when shots rang out,” Ross said. A third person, believed to be the target of the shooter, was in a car at the time of the shooting. He was shot in the thigh and taken to Capital Regional Medical Center by friends, Ross said. That victim has not been identified. He’s said to be an adult, Ross said. Ross said he wants the public to know that police will continue to have a strong presence on campus and during games to deter future crimes. The Florida Highway Patrol, Tallahassee Police and a private security firm all worked the game, he said. The arrest was made because of the cooperation of witnesses and assistance from TPD, Ross said. The shooting represents a bigger issue, he said. “I think it’s an indication of the level of violence we’ve been seeing in Tallahassee and other cities as well,” said Ross, a former secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and former Miami police chief. “The presence of law enforcement is paramount (on campus). We are not going to allow the criminal element to take over these events.” Check back with Tallahassee.com for more on this story.
updated 10:18 a.m.
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with a late-night shooting on the campus of Florida A&M University, according to FAMU police officials. Check back with Tallahassee.com for more on this story.
updated 9:35 a.m.
Florida A&M University officials say an arrest has been made in a late-night campus shooting that injured three people, including FAMU football player Lonvontae Page and his 14-year-old cousin. A text alert from FAMU officials sent 3:59 a.m. to students said, "All clear/arrest made. An arrest has been made in the shooting incident on FAMU campus." No other information about the arrest was released. Page, a running back, was struck in the wrist by a ricochet bullet about 10:40 p.m. Saturday, more than an hour after FAMU’s home football opener against Delaware State ended. It happened near Howard Hall, which is the Army ROTC building. Page’s cousin was also shot, said FAMU defensive coordinator Tim Edwards, who was at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital early this morning with Page, his cousin and other family members. FAMU officials said the cousin was "grazed" in the chin. “Obviously they are all in shock,” Edwards said. “They came to see (Page) play, and he got shot.” Edwards said that as of late Saturday, the bullet was still lodged in Page’s wrist. FAMU Police Lt. Norman Rollins said a man pulled out a firearm and began firing at a car after an argument involving two groups of people. Page and his cousin were walking nearby the car at the time. Page’s mom was with them, but she was not struck. “These were innocent bystanders out here,” Rollins said. The occupant of the car, a 26-year-old man, is believed to have been shot three times in the lower abdomen, FAMU officials said. He was taken to Capital Regional Medical Center. His name has not been released. FAMU football coach Joe Taylor responded to the shooting Saturday by saying, “It’s just unfortunate that we are still living in a real world. Fortunately for (Page) it was just his arm.” Taylor said he will ask the FAMU administration for more security for his players. “We’ve got to get it beefed up a little more until it settles down,” he said. University officials sent text alerts after the shooting advising students to stay in their dorm rooms and lock their doors. One alert said that the shooter was last seen headed toward Osceola and Broad streets. Officers could be seen searching the grounds near the residence hall, looking for spent shells and interviewing witnesses. Rollins said about 50 people were at the scene at the time of the shooting. Page, a sophomore from Douglasville, Ga., scored a touchdown in Saturday’s game. Edwards said he expects Page to recover in time to play before the end of the season. Deborah Miller, a vendor who was selling T-shirts and hats at the game, said she heard several gunshots. “We send our children to college to get an education, and someone tries to shoot them down,” said Miller, who has three college-aged children. “It’s frightening.” Check back with Tallahassee.com for more on this story.
updated 6:15 a.m.
An arrest has been made in Saturday night's shooting on the campus of Florida A&M University that left three people injured, including a football player.
The text alert was sent to students at 3:59 a.m. Sunday. It says, “All clear/arrest made. An arrest has been made in the shooting incident on FAMU campus.” No other details were given about the arrest. The shooting occurred Saturday around 10:10 a.m. after FAMU’s football opener. FAMU athletics officials confirmed late Saturday that running back Lonvontae Page was shot in the arm by a ricochet bullet. As many as two other people also were hurt in the campus shooting incident, said Lt. Norman Rollins of the FAMU PD. Two groups of people were arguing on the steps of Gibbs Hall near the stadium, Rollins said. At one point, a man pulled out a firearm and shot at a car in the dorm parking lot. Page and another person who were outside the car at the time were struck, according to FAMU officials. FAMU spokeswoman Sharon Saunders said that three people were shot Saturday evening. In a news release, Saunders identified that a 26-year-old, a 19-year-old and a 14-year-old were shot. FAMU police say the 19-year-old was shot in the wrist. The 14-year-old was grazed in the chin by a bullet. Both were bystanders. The 26-year-old, who police believed was shot three times in the lower abdomen, was the occupant of a vehicle traveling near the scene of the shooting. The 14-year-old and 19-year-old were taken to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, while the 26-year-old is being treated at Capital Regional Medical Center. Return to Tallahassee.com for more details.
Saturday night update -- By Elizabeth M. Mack and St. Clair Murraine -- Democrat Staff Writers
A Florida A&M University football player was struck by a ricochet bullet Saturday night after FAMU's home football opener against Delaware State.
As many as two other people also were hurt in the campus shooting incident, said Lt. Norman Rollins of the FAMU Police Department.
FAMU athletics officials confirmed late Saturday that running back Lonvontae Page was "grazed" in the arm by the ricochet bullet.
The shooting happened about 10:10 p.m., more than an hour after the game ended.
Two groups of people were arguing on the steps of Gibbs Hall near the stadium, Rollins said. At one point, a man pulled out a firearm and shot at a car in the dorm parking lot.
Page and another person who were outside the car at the time were struck, according to FAMU officials.
"These were innocent bystanders out here," Rollins said.
The other person, whose name was not released, was also taken to the hospital. The condition was not known.
FAMU football coach Joe Taylor said Page was with his mom at the time of the shooting. Page's mom and FAMU defensive coordinator Tim Edwards were at the hospital with the wounded player late Saturday.
Investigators weren't sure whether a third person in the car was also struck. The car drove off, and officers didn't know where it went.
The shooter ran off with three other people, Rollins said. He is described as black and 5-foot-5, with a thin build and braided hair. He was reportedly wearing black pants and a white shirt.
Coach Taylor responded to the shooting by saying, "It's just unfortunate that we are still living in a real world. Fortunately for (Page) it was just his arm."
Taylor said he will ask the FAMU administration for more security for his players.
"We've got to get it beefed up a little more until it settles down," he said.
University officials sent text alerts after the shooting advising students to stay in their dorm rooms and lock their doors. One alert said that the shooter was last seen headed toward Osceola and Broad streets.
According to emergency-scanner traffic, police were looking for a dark Cadillac.
Officers could be seen searching the grounds near the residence hall looking for spent shells and interviewing witnesses.
Rollins said about 50 people were at the scene at the time of the shooting.
Page, a sophomore from Douglasville, Ga., scored a touchdown in Saturday's game.
Deborah Miller, a vendor who sells T-shirts and hats, said she heard several gunshots.
"We send our children to college to get an education, and someone tries to shoot them down. It's frightening.," said Miller, a mother of three college students. in Georgia.
