A Campus Day Turned Tragic
What began as a beautiful spring day at Florida State University in Tallahassee quickly descended into chaos and terror when gunfire erupted near the student union building. On Thursday, April 17, 2025, students who had been enjoying the sunshine suddenly found themselves running for their lives, abandoning backpacks and even shoes as they fled.
"I saw this police officer with an assault rifle, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is real,'" said Holden Mamula, a political science and statistics major who was in his calculus class when he heard sirens and received an active shooter alert. Like many of his classmates, he crouched behind desks as lights were turned off, texting his parents while preparing to run if necessary.
The shooting claimed the lives of two people and left five others injured. According to police, the gunman was a student at the university and the son of a local sheriff's deputy. The attack came just two weeks before the end of the semester, when seniors were looking forward to graduation ceremonies rather than memorial services.
Emergency Alerts and Immediate Response
As shots rang out across campus, the university's emergency alert system activated, sending urgent messages to students and staff instructing them to shelter in place. The campus went into immediate lockdown as police responded to the scene.
Students described receiving text messages and alerts that made their "blood run cold" as they realized what was happening. For Jayden D'Onofrio, the emergency came in the form of a text from a friend who was hiding in the library.
"That is one of the most gutting feelings possible, to not know if your friends are okay... and if they're going to make it through that moment," D'Onofrio told CNN. Without hesitation, D'Onofrio and another friend ran to help, later managing to get their shocked friend to safety.
Throughout campus, sirens blared as police vehicles and ambulances converged on the scene. Law enforcement officers armed with tactical gear conducted building-by-building searches while students remained sheltered inside classrooms, offices, and dorms.
Scenes Inside Barricaded Classrooms
Inside buildings across campus, students and faculty took immediate action to protect themselves. In one classroom, students piled desks against the door to create a barricade. Photos shared with news outlets showed furniture stacked against entrance doors as students huddled together away from windows.
"It's insane to me how we keep having these incidents, after incidents, after incidents, of just mass shootings," Mamula said, describing the experience as deeply traumatizing. "I don't think you feel the emotion until you've been through that."
For many students, the response was almost automatic - a sad reflection of how commonplace active shooter drills have become in American education. Students turned off lights, silenced phones, and positioned themselves away from doors and windows - protocols they've practiced repeatedly but hoped never to use in real life.
As they waited for the all-clear, many texted loved ones, unsure if they would make it home. The psychological impact of such moments - wondering if a classroom door will hold, listening for footsteps in the hallway, trying to stay silent - creates trauma that can persist long after the immediate danger has passed.
Eyewitness Accounts of the Shooting
McKenzie Heeter was leaving the student union when she noticed an orange Hummer parked on a nearby service road. What she witnessed next would become seared into her memory: a man standing next to the vehicle holding "a larger gun," who then "let off a shot" in her general direction where other people were also walking.
Heeter then saw the gunman turn back to the car, pull out a handgun, and shoot a woman wearing purple scrubs in the back. It was in that moment she realized the horrifying truth.
"When he turned to the woman and shot her, that's when I realized, there was no target. And that it was anybody he could see," Heeter said. "And I took off."
She ran approximately a mile to reach her apartment, with the first 20 seconds of her escape accompanied by the continuous sound of gunfire. "It was just shot after shot after shot," she recalled.
Another student's video, taken while hiding behind bushes, captured the disturbing scene of someone lying motionless on the grass as others frantically ran to escape the gunfire. Screams filled the air as shots continued to ring out across what should have been a peaceful campus setting.
Seeking Shelter at a Nearby Church
As students fled from campus, many found refuge at the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More, located directly across the street from Florida State University. Father Luke Farabaugh was attending a staff birthday party when he heard pops that gave him an immediate sense of dread.
Soon after, terrified people began streaming into the cathedral seeking safety. Farabaugh described seeing "a fear that I had never seen before" on their faces as they entered. "It was surreal to be thrust into a life-and-death situation," he said.
The church quickly transformed from a place of worship to an emergency shelter, with clergy and staff doing what they could to comfort the frightened students and community members who had fled there. Later that evening, after the immediate danger had passed, the church held a mass that took on new significance in light of the day's tragic events.
"We will be entering into this Holy Week in a different way this year," Farabaugh noted, referring to the upcoming Easter celebrations. "I don't have any spiritual conclusions. I only say that as we enter into this service, many of us were thrust into service today."
Evacuation and Aftermath
Hours after the shooting began, authorities finally issued an all-clear, allowing for the systematic evacuation of buildings across campus. Video footage showed streams of students, some with their hands raised above their heads, being escorted to safe locations by law enforcement officers.
Once reunited in safe areas, many students collapsed into emotional embraces, the full weight of what they had just experienced finally hitting them. Tears flowed freely as friends confirmed that loved ones were safe and accounted for.
"You go to school to get your degree, make friends, you make memories, not to go to school to experience stuff like this," FSU student Garrett Harvey told CNN from a building where he had been evacuated with hundreds of other students.
When students were eventually allowed to return to collect belongings they had abandoned while fleeing, they found a campus transformed into a crime scene. Evidence markers dotted the lawn near the student union building, with shell casings scattered across grass that normally hosts study groups and frisbee games.
The Growing Epidemic of Campus Violence
For Jayden D'Onofrio, Thursday's shooting at FSU carried painfully familiar echoes. Seven years earlier, while in 7th grade, he had received notification of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida - just 15 minutes from his school. That tragedy claimed 17 lives and wounded 17 others.
"This isn't normal. It keeps happening, again and again," D'Onofrio said after helping get his friend to safety during the FSU shooting. "It's depressing, and there's no real action being taken to change it, especially here in Florida."
In the aftermath of Parkland, D'Onofrio recalls having school shooting drills every month while growing up. Thursday's events at FSU were, in his words, "just another chapter of that" - a continuation of America's ongoing struggle with gun violence.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 81 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2025, highlighting how what was once unthinkable has become a regular occurrence in schools, churches, shopping centers, and other public spaces across the country.
The FSU shooting transforms yet another campus into a place forever marked by tragedy. What was once a vibrant center of learning is now another entry in America's growing list of mass shooting locations, with psychological impacts that will affect the community long after the physical wounds have healed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many victims were there in the FSU shooting?
Two people were killed and five others were injured in the shooting at Florida State University on April 17, 2025.
Who was the shooter at FSU?
According to police, the suspect was a student at Florida State University and the son of a local sheriff's deputy. Further details about the suspect's identity were not provided in the initial reporting.
Where exactly did the shooting take place on campus?
The shooting occurred near Florida State University's student union building. Witnesses reported seeing the gunman next to an orange Hummer parked on a service road near the student union.
How did students protect themselves during the shooting?
Students took various protective measures including hiding under desks, barricading classroom doors with furniture, fleeing campus, and seeking shelter at nearby buildings including the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More across from campus.
How long did the FSU campus remain on lockdown?
The campus remained on lockdown for several hours, with an all-clear being issued later the same day, allowing for the systematic evacuation of buildings.
Has FSU experienced shootings before?
While the article doesn't specifically mention previous shootings at FSU, it does note that this incident is part of a broader pattern of gun violence affecting educational institutions across the United States.
How many mass shootings have occurred in the US this year?
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 81 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2025 as of the time of this reporting.
What support is available for students traumatized by the shooting?
While specific support services weren't detailed in the initial reporting, universities typically provide counseling services, mental health resources, and other support for students following traumatic events of this nature.