Gunshots fired on Florida A&M campus Friday resulted in five people arrested and three guns confiscated by the FAMU Police Department. No one was injured, according to FAMU PD.
Of the five people arrested and charged, three were students, one being a FAMU student.
FAMU PD reports that Rashad Bell and his cousin Renaldo Bell were arrested and charged for possession of a firearm on school grounds and for a stolen firearm. FAMU student Antoine William was arrested and charged for possession of a weapon on school grounds.
Tallahassee Community College Benjamin Robinson was arrested and charged on three counts of aggravated assault: possession of a firearm on school grounds, shooting into an occupied vehicle and possession of a weapon with an altered serial number. Corey Johnson, a Bethune-Cookman University student, was arrested and charged with aiding and abetting and accessory after the fact.
The incident took place about 1:50 p.m. Several gunshots were fired near Pinder Drive. The campus received emergency alerts to stay clear of the area within minutes of the incident.
“An argument began on The Set of FAMU’s campus,” said FAMU Police Chief Calvin Ross. “Our officers asked the individuals to leave the area at once. After they departed the area, they proceeded to their vehicles and subsequently shots were fired.”
A large portion of the campus between The Set and the B.L. Perry building were roped off to keep students clear of the area where the incident occurred.
Some students witnessed the altercation.
“A car drove by and started firing at about 1:25, 1:30 as soon as classes started. Bullets were flying from a gray car and I crouched down and hid in front of a bush near B.L. Perry,” said Trenise Murray, 21, a junior criminal justice student from Miami. “It’s ridiculous. This is one place I should feel safe. There were a good 40 people outside when it happened. Luckily no one was hurt.”
Randy Henley, 21, a junior political science student from Fort Lauderdale, gave his own account.
“I saw the guy (one of the suspects) earlier riding around campus at about 11 a.m. He was getting hostile with one of the groundskeepers,” Henley said. “I got a call about the shooting and when I went to go check on my friend’s car I saw him again in handcuffs.”
Henley responded to the information about those involved with the shooting not being FAMU students.
“I believe they should have a way for these ticket givers and boot givers to find a way to keep non students and locals out,” Henley said.
Danielle Crawford, 20, a sophomore business student from Atlanta said she witnessed the incident and heard one of the shooters speak.
“Four dudes came out and started shooting, one of them said, ‘I shot, I shot’, and once I heard them I ran into Foster Tanner,” Crawford said. “The shooter ran back to the gray car. I don’t even know the point of the whole thing, doing it probably just to show off.”