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Tragedy at Florida State University: 2 Killed, 5 Injured in Campus Shooting
A quiet afternoon at Florida State University turned tragic on Thursday when a shooter opened fire near the campus student union, leaving two people dead and five others injured, according to police. The incident sparked fear and confusion among students and staff, many of whom took cover in classrooms, elevators, and hallways.
Authorities say the shooter, a 20-year-old student, used a gun that had once belonged to his father, a sheriff’s deputy. The two victims who died were not enrolled at the university.
Fear Spreads as Campus Locks Down
As gunfire rang out around midday, the university issued an active shooter alert. Sirens echoed across campus, and emergency vehicles from multiple agencies raced toward the scene.
Students hid in panic—some inside the bowling alley located in the union’s lower level, others inside classrooms and nearby buildings.
“In that moment, it was just survival,” said Ryan Cedergren, a communications student who sheltered with dozens of others after seeing crowds running from a nearby bar.
Another visitor, Chris Pento, was touring the campus with his children when the shots were fired. “It felt unreal. We tried to escape but doors were locked,” he told a local TV station. “We finally found a service elevator, but we didn’t know what we’d find on the other side.”
Law Enforcement Responds Quickly
Roughly three hours after the first alert, officials announced that the shooter had been ‘neutralized’ and no further threat remained. Still, authorities urged students and faculty to avoid the student union area, which remained an active crime scene.
Dozens of police cars, forensic vans, and emergency vehicles lined the streets near the building. Students who had fled without phones or bags gathered nearby, many praying and comforting each other.
University police chief Jason Trumbower confirmed that all five injured people were being treated at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, including the shooter.
Campus Reeling from the Violence
Florida State University, with over 44,000 enrolled students, is one of the state’s largest public universities. The shooting shook the entire campus community, bringing back painful memories of a 2014 incident at the main library where three people were injured before police shot the gunman.
Classes and all campus events were canceled for Thursday, and the university also suspended home athletic events through the weekend.
President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office, saying,
“It’s a terrible thing. It's heartbreaking that we keep seeing events like this.”
Students Describe the Chaos
Sophomore Kai McGalla said he was in a testing center when the lockdown began.
“The first thing that came to mind was — this can’t be real.”
Another student, Joshua Sirmans, was inside the main library when the alarms sounded. He said police later led them out of the building with their hands raised, unsure if the shooter had been caught.
