A shooting near Florida A&M University’s campus injured 12 people, including six children, during homecoming weekend in Tallahassee. The violence came eight days before Election Day, putting gun policy and public safety squarely into the final stretch of Florida’s governor’s race.
Both major gubernatorial campaigns had visited FAMU in recent weeks and each released a statement on the tragedy. Neither halted its political operation. Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Gwen Graham voted Monday at the same courthouse where the shooting suspect made a first appearance, and the Jolly-Graham campaign released what it called its final ad that day. Candidates from both parties continued events and social media posts while offering condolences.
For Suncoast voters, the closing week now carries a familiar weight. Red tide seasons and hurricane prep are the emergencies we plan for here, but gun violence is the one families across the state keep being asked to process in real time. How candidates balance a tragedy with a campaign will shape the conversations, and possibly the turnout, in the days ahead.
How would you want a candidate to respond if this happened in your community? Let us know in the comments or call in when we open the phones.
