TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A viral video of a tense confrontation between four FAMU students and an armed man in Tallahassee is getting national attention.
WTXL ABC 27 spoke with the student who posted the video, Isiah Butterfield, who said he and his three friends from FAMU were at Stadium Centre Apartments early Saturday morning to see a friend who just moved in.
The students told us a man approached them to tell them they weren't getting on the elevator he was taking. When the man shows them what he says is his key, he has a gun in his other hand.
"You never know in today's day what could happen, you know?" said Joshua Cosby, another one of the FAMU students. "We could've ended up being the next Trayvon Martin."
ABC News reached out to Butterfield who says they believe the man was trying to provoke them.
"We really think he was trying to provoke us to the point where it got violent so he could retaliate with the gun," Butterfield told ABC News. "I knew that if this dude even feels threatened, he's going to find any excuse to pull the trigger."
The apartment complex, Stadium Centre, told ABC News the man doesn't live in the building. They said the following in a statement sent to ABC News:
"Firearms are strictly prohibited on our property and we take this matter very seriously. We are cooperating with the police during their investigation and it has been determined that the person in the elevator is not a resident. Moreover, we are firmly committed to fostering a diverse residential community that is inclusive and welcoming to all."
So, who's the man in the video holding the gun? Several people on social media say his name is Don Crandall, and he's the manager of Baymont by Wyndham hotel.
When ABC News reached out to the hotel for comment, the hotel confirmed his identity to them and confirmed he was no longer employed there.
The Tallahassee Police Department told WTXL ABC News that their investigation into the incident has been completed. You can read more about development on that here.
