At least 12 people, including six children as young as 11, have been injured in a mass shooting near a Florida university football stadium during packed homecoming celebrations.
Eleven people were struck by gunfire when violence erupted near Florida A&M University's Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday night, sending terrified crowds scrambling for cover.
Three victims suffered serious injuries, including one who remained in critical condition, while eight others were reported to be stable.
Among those caught up in the bloodshed were six juveniles, with the youngest victim just 11 years old.
A twelfth person, the grandmother of one of the victims, was injured while desperately fleeing the scene as panic swept through crowds gathered for the university's homecoming weekend.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell revealed the devastating toll during a late-night news conference, admitting he was struggling to comprehend the violence.
'I stand before you tonight devastated,' Revell said.
Investigators believe a fight broke out between individuals shortly before 8pm which may have sparked the shooting near the intersection of Perry and Manatee streets, right beside the university's football stadium.
At least 12 people, including six children as young as 11, have been injured in a horrifying mass shooting near a Florida university football stadium during packed homecoming celebrations
Police lights illuminate the chaotic scene near Florida A&M University's Bragg Memorial Stadium on Saturday night after a mass shooting left 12 people injured, including six juveniles
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell gave an update just before midnight on the mass shooting that occurred on Perry Street behind FAMU's Bragg Memorial Stadium
No arrests had been made as of the midnight update, and authorities had not identified any suspects or established what caused the confrontation.
The shooting unfolded shortly after Florida A&M's Rattlers lost their homecoming football game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, with large crowds were still celebrating in the surrounding streets.
Videos circulating on social media captured the chaotic aftermath as police officers rushed to rescue the wounded amid scenes of confusion and panic.
One widely shared clip showed officers carrying an injured person through a parking lot on a makeshift cloth stretcher.
Another showed emergency responders using flashlights to treat someone lying on the ground as frantic voices echoed around them.
Other footage saw police attempting to control crowds while debris and discarded belongings littered the streets where people had fled.
'Everybody ran; everybody cleared off,' one witness could be heard saying in a video.
Revell praised the extraordinary efforts of first responders, revealing that officers had been forced to physically carry injured victims because emergency vehicles could not make their way through the crowds.
'We had officers who were picking up victims and carrying them in their arms to transport because they couldn't get through the mass of people,' the police chief said.
A police officer stands among shaken bystanders following a shooting during Saturday night's homecoming celebrations
Witnesses described terrifying moments as families desperately tried to escape the gunfire.
'Praying for our kids because what I just witnessed at 7:50pm was unbelievable,' one person wrote on Facebook.
'My 1st and last homecoming. On God! My kids and their friends were crying and I'm trying to pull other people kids to safety.'
The witness added: 'This could have been any of our babies.'
Another person described the desperate scramble to survive.
'Perry St was wild tonight. Running, falling, ducking and hiding,' they wrote.
A separate witness claimed to have seen people being shot directly in front of them.
'They literally just shot these ppl in front of me,' the person wrote. 'Ya'll please pray for they families.'
The emergency also prompted neighboring Florida State University to issue a warning advising students, faculty and staff across Tallahassee to remain indoors.
Ambulances filled the streets as police and paramedics raced to respond to the shooting, leaving 11 people with gunshot wounds and 3 seriously injured, plus one in critical condition
'At this time, there is no indication that members of the FSU community were involved,' the university said.
'As a precaution, students, faculty and staff in the Tallahassee area are advised to remain indoors this evening and stay alert.'
By 9:45pm, Tallahassee police confirmed that the shooting scene had been secured, although the full scale of the carnage would not become clear until hours later.
Florida A&M issued another statement shortly after 11pm expressing its condolences to those affected.
'Our hearts go out to the victims and all those affected by this tragic incident,' the university said.
'While the campus remains safe, individuals are encouraged to avoid the area to allow law enforcement to conduct its investigation.'