A routine day on the Florida State University (FSU) campus in Tallahassee descended into chaos on Thursday after a mass shooting near the Student Union left one person dead and at least six others injured. According to multiple law enforcement sources and a statement from Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, one of the injured victims remains in critical condition while five others are being treated for serious injuries. Authorities have warned that the number of casualties could increase as investigations continue and more information becomes available.
The shooting unfolded shortly after midday, triggering a campus-wide emergency alert instructing students and faculty to shelter in place. The threat, officials later confirmed, was “neutralized,” and the area surrounding the Student Union has since been secured by law enforcement. However, the psychological toll remains high as the university community grapples with yet another mass shooting in a country plagued by gun violence.
Sophomore Paula Maldonado, who was attending a class just steps away from the Student Union, described a terrifying scene to ABC News. She recalled hearing loud shouting outside the classroom shortly before the university’s active threat alarm system blared through the building. “Everyone in my class quickly turned off the lights, put desks to block off the door and hid by the front of the classroom,” she said. Maldonado recounted the fear and confusion as students whispered and some cried, attempting to comfort each other in the dark. “A student next to me told me to put my backpack in front of me to protect myself,” she added, describing the surreal moment when a police officer entered the room. “I thought it was the shooter. It was very scary.”
Another student, Daniella Streety, shared a similarly jarring experience. She was in a building just across the street from the Student Union when sirens began to wail and a crowd of people suddenly rushed inside seeking shelter. She watched as students fled the Student Union building while law enforcement swarmed the area, forming a perimeter and checking buildings for potential threats.
In the wake of the violence, FSU officials announced that all classes would be canceled through Friday. Leon County public schools were also placed on lockout “as a precaution,” according to district officials.
The national response to the shooting was swift. Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was one of the 17 students killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, expressed his heartbreak over the fact that some of Jaime’s former classmates—now FSU students—experienced a second school shooting. “Incredibly, some of them were just a part of their second school shooting and some were in the Student Union today,” he wrote in an emotional post on social media. “As a father, all I ever wanted after the Parkland shooting was to help our children be safe. Sadly, because of the many people who refuse to do the right things about reducing gun violence, I am not surprised by what happened today.”
Government officials echoed the sentiment. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a statement expressing sorrow and solidarity: “My heart breaks for the students, their families, and faculty at Florida State University. There is no place in American society for violence. Our entire nation is praying for the victims and their families.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the situation.
Thursday’s tragedy has reignited calls for serious national discourse around gun violence, particularly in educational institutions. Florida State University now joins the long list of American campuses scarred by shootings, while students, faculty, and families confront the emotional aftermath of yet another senseless act of violence.
As investigations into the motive and identity of the shooter continue, the FSU community remains united in grief and resilience, determined to support one another through this traumatic event.
