Inside the FSU Mass Shooting: Emergency Alerts, Barricaded Desks, and Abandoned Shoes Reveal the Campus’s Harrowing Response | CNN

On a sunny afternoon, Jayden D’Onofrio received a text that changed everything. His friend was hiding in the library at Florida State University because there was an active shooter on campus. Without hesitation, he rushed to help her.

What started as a beautiful Florida spring day quickly spiraled into chaos. Near the student union, a gunman opened fire, adding another tragic chapter to America’s troubling gun violence story. “It’s gut-wrenching not knowing if your friends are okay,” D’Onofrio shared. “Words can’t describe that feeling.”

As students faced potential danger, scenes of panic unfolded. Inside classrooms, students hid beneath desks, barricading themselves against possible threats. Texts flew between loved ones, filled with fear and uncertainty. “When I saw the police with assault rifles, I realized it was serious,” said Holden Mamula, a political science major. The experience was both horrifying and surreal for everyone involved.

Sadly, this wasn’t the first time D’Onofrio had confronted gun violence. He recalled the Parkland shooting from seven years ago. At that time, he also felt fear that turned into a painful normalization of drills for active shooter scenarios. As he put it, “This just feels like another chapter.”

During the lockdown, emergency alerts instructed students to shelter in place. Many fled toward the nearby Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More, seeking refuge from the terror. Father Luke Farabaugh, who was at a birthday party when the chaos erupted, witnessed people entering the church filled with fear. “It was surreal to suddenly be in a life-and-death situation,” he noted.

The toll of this violence is staggering. There have been 81 mass shootings in the U.S. this year alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive. In moments like these, students find themselves in a nightmare scenario: their school, a place for growth and memories, becomes a site of trauma.

Hours later, when the danger had passed, students returned to the chaotic scene. The campus, once vibrant with laughter, was now marked with evidence of violence. Shell casings littered the area, a grim reminder of what had occurred. For the community, this incident would leave lasting scars.

As Easter approached, the mood shifted dramatically from what was expected to be a joyous celebration to a time of reflection and mourning. “We will enter this Holy Week differently this year,” Father Farabaugh reflected, acknowledging the heavy reality they faced together.

Amid these tragedies, discussions about gun laws intensify. Experts stress that understanding mental health and encouraging open dialogue is crucial. Gun violence isn’t just a matter of policy—it also impacts community mental health.

As the pain lingers, the community and the nation grapple with the broader implications of these repeated tragedies. Each shooting adds to the collective trauma while fueling conversations about solutions for a safer future. It’s clear that this issue transcends politics; it’s about protecting lives and healing communities.



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