SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL — A fatal shooting at a South Tallahassee sports bar early Sunday morning has community leaders calling for an end to local gun violence and urging residents to take an active role in neighborhood safety.
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The Tallahassee Police Department says the attack happened in the 1100 block of Apalachee Parkway at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
They say a man was shot multiple times after a "large physical altercation."
Police did not mention a suspect or a potential arrest in a post about the shooting. A homicide investigation is underway.
Community leaders say the incident is a reminder that preventing violence requires more than just law enforcement. They believe neighbors play a key role in keeping their neighborhoods safe.
"There are so many factors that play into an individual deciding to get a gun and shoot someone else....He doesn't have a job, he doesn't have income, he doesn't have the resources. So in his mind, well, 'I need to have a gun so I can just take it now. I can take these things I want.' But we've got to educate our people that you can get a job like everyone else. You can work and you can earn a living," Curtis Taylor, Tallahassee Urban League CEO and President, said.
While the latest incident is alarming, new data from the Tallahassee Police Department shows a slight decrease in gun violence compared to this time last year.
From January 1st through April 5th, 2026, the city saw three homicides involving firearms, seven shootings with injuries affecting 11 people, and 33 shootings without injury.
During that same time period in 2025, there were five firearm-related homicides, including one justifiable homicide, eight shootings with injuries, and 35 shootings without injury.
But for many in the community, those numbers do not tell the full story.
"If we are going to continue to do this -- anger management, social responsibility, team trafficking, gang resistance, all the things that are happening in our communities -- we understand that. But we've got to get beyond that and realize that the gun is not the answer. The gun is the problem," Taylor said.
Taylor emphasized that real change starts within the community. He is encouraging neighbors to join the Tallahassee Urban League and partners at the Piggly Wiggly on South Monroe on Friday, April 17th, for a conversation and march on gun violence prevention.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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