At least one shooter injured six people on Florida State University's Tallahassee campus Thursday, as law enforcement continues to evacuate buildings and nearby businesses and schools were placed on lockdown. No deaths have yet been confirmed by officials.
Paige Miller, an FSU freshman, was in the restroom outside her classroom at the Moore building next to the Student Union when she heard four loud bangs.“I thought it was the roof collapsing honestly, and then suddenly three girls come running in and one of them was crying," she said. "One of the girls looks over at my stall and tells me to call the police because there’s an active shooter.”She called 911. With no lock on the restroom door, they held it shut for 20 minutes until police arrived. When she came outside, she saw one person on the ground surrounded by officers.
Miller assumed he was a shooter but wasn’t sure. Miller also heard police say they were looking for a shotgun. She saw what appeared to be two injured people on the ground by the Student Union.“We saw them when they were still on the grass,” she said. “I think they moved a couple to the pavement.” She said law enforcement was swarming everywhere: “It was terrifying.”
Various social media posts and news reports have differing numbers of injured and deaths but law enforcement as of 2 p.m. had not confirmed any deaths from Thursday's shooting.
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare spokesperson Stephanie Derzypolski earlier told the Democrat TMH ER staff was treating received six patients, one in critical condition and the others in serious condition.
"All Florida State athletics home events through Sunday, April 20, have been canceled," the university posted on X. "Further updates on events scheduled for next week will be communicated when available."
Sam Swartz and Sean Gulledg said they were in the basement of the FSU student union when the shooting started. “Everyone started freaking out,” Swartz said. He said they heard maybe 10 gunshots while they were working on a group project.
The group of eight cornered themselves in a hallway and started to barricade the opening with trash cans and plywood. “I remember learning to do the best you can to make them take time because they don’t want to do anything that takes time, they’re just trying to get as many people,” Swartz said.
The whole event took maybe 10 minutes, Gulledg added, “but it felt a lot longer.”
Students heard law enforcement officers going up and down hallways telling everyone to come out with their hands up. Everyone was patted down and checked before evacuating.
Gulledg, a resident assistant, said they train for these types of situations, but never thought they’d ever have to use them. “I trusted the training,” he said.
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