Mall shooting sparks community conversation about youth gun violence in Tallahassee

SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — A shooting at Governor's Square Mall involving suspects as young as 14 is reigniting a broader conversation about youth gun violence in Tallahassee. A 14-year-old, a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old were named as suspects and arrested by the Tallahassee Police Department in connection with the Saturday shooting at the mall. Their ages have prompted community leaders, pastors and nonprofit organizers to call for more than just an arrest — they want systemic, community-driven solutions. Life Church International Center Pastor Gregory James, who spent a little more than a decade in the prison system himself, said the community can no longer rely on reactive responses. "It automatically says something is wrong and there has to be more than an arrest, and so this situation that happened here just triggered my mindset to say, who's taking the time to understand beyond a case there is a human being that needs to be examined, that needs to be questioned. I want to see results." James said.

Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open WTXL ABC 27 ↗