A person with a gun has been reported at Florida State University's campus in Tallahassee.
The university sent a warning telling students to hide because the shooter was seen near the student union. Police were "on scene or on the way," the warning said.
"Lock and stay away from all doors and windows and be prepared to take additional protective measures," the alert said.
4 People Hospitalized In Relation To FSU Shooting
At least four people are getting medical care at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, a hospital spokesperson said.
There is no information yet about their injuries or how badly they are hurt.
Video Shows People Running Through Traffic Around Time Of Shooting
A student filmed a video of a group of people running through traffic while sirens can be heard in the background.
Garrett Harvey, a meteorology student at FSU, wrote that people were running across the street because of reports of a shooting at the student union.
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Tallahassee Fire Department Responding To FSU Scene
The Tallahassee Fire Department has arrived at the FSU campus, a spokesperson for the department said.
The spokesperson could not give information on whether anyone was taken off the campus by paramedics.
People Who Need Help Should Call 911, School Urges
Another alert from the university told anyone who needs help right away to call 911 or the Florida State University Police Department at 850-644-1234.
Students Asked To Avoid Campus, All Activities Canceled
Florida State has canceled all classes and events for the day.
"Individuals not already on the main campus at this time should avoid coming to the Tallahassee main campus," the school said on its advisory website.
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare 'Actively Receiving Patients' From Shooting
The staff at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare is "receiving and caring for patients" from the reported shooting at the university, a hospital representative said in a statement this afternoon.
"At this time, details are still unfolding, and we do not yet have specific information to share," the representative said. "However, we want to assure the community that our teams are fully mobilized and prepared to provide the highest level of care and support to all those affected."
The hospital also said it is working closely with public safety officials and will provide updates as they become available.
Florida Attorney General's Office Responding To Shooting
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's office was responding to the active shooting on the FSU campus, he said in a post on X.
Along with Tallahassee officials and campus police, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it was "actively engaged" on the campus and would provide updates as soon as possible.
Students On Campus Urged To Continue Sheltering In Place
Everyone on campus at FSU is asked to stay where they are while law enforcement clears rooms in response to the shooting, according to the latest university alert.
"Continue to shelter in place until law enforcement contacts you," the school said. "Persons in need of immediate emergency assistance should call 9-1-1 or FSUPD at 850-644-1234."
Fbi Responding To FSU Shooting, Spokesperson Says
The FBI is responding to the scene at FSU as campus, city, and state officials have gathered at the school, according to a spokesperson for the bureau.
The FBI has a small office in Tallahassee that works as a suboffice of its Jacksonville field office. Agents from both locations are on the scene or are on their way, an FBI spokesperson said.
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X that he and his team have been briefed on the situation.
"We will provide full support to local law enforcement as needed," Patel wrote. "Please keep the FSU community in your prayers."
Multiple Hospitalized After Active Shooter Reported At Florida State University
Florida State University sent an alert asking students and staff to take shelter after a shooting was reported near the campus student union. Several people have been taken to the hospital.
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Florida Gov. Ron Desantis: 'Our Prayers Are With Our FSU Family'
"Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote in a post on X.
FSU Was Site Of Shooting In 2014
Today's shooting at Florida State University is sadly not the first on campus.
In November 2014, a former student shot an employee and two students at Strozier Library. The shooter was fatally shot by officers who responded.
'We Are Thinking Of Everyone On Campus,' Florida House Speaker Tells Nbc News
State legislators are asking for more information about the active shooter situation at FSU, Florida House Speaker Danny Perez told NBC News.
"But we are thinking of everyone on campus," Perez said. "Our prayers are with Florida State at this moment."
In a post on X, Perez called the situation on campus "terrifying and every parent's worst nightmare."
FSU Student Describes Seeing Students Carried On Stretchers
Florida State University student Daniella Streety talked about the chaos that happened after shots were fired on campus this afternoon.
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She is still locked down in a campus building and described seeing "nothing but blue lights from the police presence" and long lines of students with their hands raised being evacuated.
"I did see them carry out one student in what looked like on a stretcher and kept them in the road until an ambulance was able to pick them up," she told NBC News. "Directly across from me there's a building about 50 feet outside of the window. … There was a student injured there as well and they had to transport them in a desk chair to the road to then be transported via ambulance."
She said she believes the shots were fired around noon inside the Student Union, the busy center of campus where many students and faculty are during this time of day.
"Actually, a couple of faculty that work in the building I'm in ran up after the sirens went off to take shelter with me. And said they heard the gunshots and were running," Streety said.
FSU student Daniella Streety said she thinks the shots were fired around noon inside the Student Union, the busy center of campus where many students and faculty are at this time of day.
Florida State Shooting: 2 People Dead, Deputy's Son ArrestedPolice Say 1 Person In Custody
Officials have one person in custody in connection to the FSU shooting, a spokesperson for the Tallahassee Police Department confirmed to NBC News.
No other details were shared.
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FSU Cancels Operations And Athletic Events Through The Weekend
FSU has canceled all classes and business operations until tomorrow. Also, all home athletic events are canceled from now until Sunday.
"Essential employees should check with their supervisors for further reporting instructions," the university said.
President Donald Trump Calls FSU Shooting A 'horrible Thing'
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he knew about the active shooter situation and said he was "fully briefed" on the current status.
"It's a shame. Horrible thing," Trump said. "Horrible that things like this take place, and we'll have more to say about it later."
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6 Patients Being Treated At Hospital, 1 In Critical Condition
At least six people are being treated at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, a hospital spokesperson confirmed to NBC News.
The spokesperson also said that one patient is in critical condition, while the other five are in serious condition.
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Florida State University student Ryan Cedergren described seeing people "running" during a shooting at the school. Several people have been hospitalized, and students and staff were told to take shelter.
One Person Killed In FSU Shooting, Senior Law Enforcement Source Says
At least one person has died because of the shooting at Florida State University, a senior Florida law enforcement official told NBC News.
The Tallahassee Police Department confirmed earlier today that one person is in custody in connection to the shooting.
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Student Describes Seeing Shooter Bring Out Rifle, Then A Pistol
McKenzie Heeter, a junior at FSU, described seeing the gunman during the shooting at FSU this afternoon while she was outside the student union.
"I was leaving the union with my food. There's a road next to it and I was walking and this guy pulls up in an orange Hummer, and he gets out with a rifle and shoots in my direction. There were a couple other kids near me," Heeter said. "I think he was shooting and he missed. So he goes back into his car and grabs a pistol, then he turns and shoots the lady in front of him. That's when I just started running."
Heeter said she heard about 15 shots fired for about 20 to 30 seconds. She then called the police at 11:57 a.m. to report the shooting.
She described the shooter as a "normal college dude" wearing an orange T-shirt and khaki shorts. She said he was white with light hair.
At first, Heeter thought he had a BB gun, but when she heard him fire it, she knew it was real.
"When he turned back around with the pistol, I saw him shoot the lady like right in front of him. She was probably like 5 feet in front of him with the pistol," Heeter said. She said the woman was in purple scrubs and didn't appear to be a student or faculty.
"It was just me and like three other people that noticed at first, but we were walking in the opposite direction away from the union, so we started running. I just told everybody that I could see, stay away from campus," she recalled. "I ran back to my apartment as fast as I could."
Videos Show FSU Students Being Evacuated By Law Enforcement
Several videos shared on social media show officers helping people near the FSU student union, where the shooting is said to have started.
Other videos show students leaving classrooms after the lockdown was announced, and one video shows officers carrying someone outside of Strozier Library while others run past.
Father Of Parkland Victim Says: 'America Is Broken'
In a post on X, the father of Jaime Guttenberg, a 14-year-old girl who was killed during the 2018 Parkland High School shooting, claimed that "America is broken."
"As a father, all I ever wanted after the Parkland shooting was to help our children be safe," Fred Guttenberg said. "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."
He explained that some of the students who survived the Parkland shooting were now at FSU.
Students May Return To Residence Halls, Asked To Avoid Student Union
Students at the institution were advised to "otherwise stay indoors" so that officials, first responders and campus staff can do their job but they could to back to their residence halls.
"The Student Union and the surrounding area is still considered an active crime scene," the university said. "Individuals should avoid the area. Students should not return to the Student Union to retrieve personal property at this time."
Students in need of help were also advised to go to the Donald L. Tucker Center where the university was offering counseling, health care and other kinds of support.
Police Have 'Neutralized' Threat To FSU Campus
In a post on X, Tallahassee police explained that the FSU campus had been secured.
"Multiple law enforcement agencies remain on site for the ongoing investigation," the department wrote. "The Student Union & surrounding area are still considered an active crime scene. Individuals should not return to the area for any reason."
Police added that "busing is underway to help students reach the reunification point at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center."
Through an emergency alert, the university confirmed that the campus was safe and that the threat had been "neutralized" by the law enforcement. However, students were encouraged to stay away from the student union building although they were free to use other areas of the campus.
'It Just Can't Keep Happening,' FSU Freshman Says Of American Gun Violence
Maya Cabal, a freshman at FSU, heard the code for active threat over staff walkie talkies soon after clocking in to her shift at the campus gym.
Everyone was directed to the locker rooms, where they remained util the university offered buses to the campus civic center. Maya found the situation "unacceptable" and urged that more policies be put in place to avoid this kind of violence.
"I just think that this happens way too much in America," Cabal said. "We need to do something about it. It just can't keep happening. Like, no one should just think that they're going to school in a normal day, then … their lives are in danger because there are not enough regulations in place."
Matthew Ontari, a sophomore, heard the gunshots when he was at a building just across the student union. He was safe along other students for about an hour before the police eventually evacuated them. He found the incidet "insane" since guns are so easily accessible in the U.S. although other countries have stronger restrictions against possession of guns.
"This is the only country where this regularly happens," Ontari said. "And every time it happens, we hear there's nothing that can be done about it."
A student said they took cover after hearing gun shots at FSU. "There was students running and screaming," the student said.
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2 People Killed In Shooting, 6 Others Injured
According to the FSU Police Chief Jason Trumbower, two people died in the shooting. However, the two were not students, and their identities have not been revealed.
Six others were injured, and five of them were hospitalized. According to Trumbower, the shooter is getting treatment at the hospital.
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Shooting Suspect Is The Son Of A Sheriff's Deputy, Official Says
The suspect is a son of a sheriff's deputy, and he had access to one of her weapons, according to Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil.
The 20-year-old was identified as Phoenix Ikner.
According to McNeil, Phoenix had access to weapons since he was part of the sheriff's office's advisory or Youth Advisory Council.
"This event is tragic in more ways than you people in the audience could ever fathom from a law enforcement perspective," McNeil said. "But I will tell you this, we will make sure that we do everything we can to prosecute and make sure that we send a message to folks that this will never be tolerated here in Leon County and, I dare say, across this state and across this nation."
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Fsu Senior Hid In Student Union Basement Throughout The Shooting
An FSU senior, Sam Swartz, was studying with other students in the student union when he heard 8 to 10 gunshots.
"People upstairs were screaming and running around, and we didn't think of anything other, because college — things happen," he said. "But then about a minute later, we heard gunshots."
"Everyone was like: 'This is this is something serious,'" he added.
The 22-year-old said his study group barricaded itself behind several trash cans at the end of the hallway.
"I didn't get really nervous," he said. "I felt pressure, and, like, my heart was racing, but I also felt sort of calm and ready to lead people to protect them."
About 15 minutes later, the police approached the group, patted them for weapons and then escorted them out of the building.
After he got outside, Swartz saw a young man he believed to be the shooter being arrested by the authorities. Although he did not recognize the white male, he looked "like a college kid".
Stacked Chairs Show Students' Makeshift Blockade
Students and staff had to shelter at the campus as it went into lockdown.
There is a photo showing chars and desks piled in front of a classroom door possibly as a blockade to keep the shooter away.
Florida State Shooting: 2 People Dead, Deputy's Son ArrestedUniversity Of Florida Sends 'Deepest Sympathies' To FSU
Kent Fuchs, the president of University of Florida, said on X that he and the Gator community were sending "our most caring thoughts and deepest sympathies to the Florida State University family."
"Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by the shootings and their loved ones," Fuchs wrote.
The two schools share a famous rivalry, and their teams often compete in sports.
The official UF account also posted on X explaining that the shooting happened at its Gainesville campus.
"Please keep the FSU community in your thoughts and use caution when reporting on this incident," the school wrote.
'We Are Heartbroken,' FSU President Tells University Community
FSU President Richard mcCullough addressed the students, faculty, and staff on the "tragic and senseless act of violence" that took place on the campus.
"We are heartbroken. We are grieving with the families, friends and loved ones of those who were lost," McCullough said in a statement. "We are holding close those who are injured, and we are standing by everyone who is hurting."
He explained that the focus was on "taking care of people," including students and faculty members who had been impacted by the incident.
"There will be more updates in the days ahead, and more time to reflect and heal. But now, we mourn together," McCullough added. "We lean on one another. And we remember who we are. We are Florida State."
After Seeing Gunman Fire, Student Took Off Running 'As Fast As I Could'
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McKenzie Heeter, a junior at FSU, talked about the moment he saw the gunman fire outside the student union.
Suspect Espoused 'White Supremacist' Views, Was Asked To Leave Club, President Says
The suspect, a deputy's son, had white supremacist views, which led to his removal from a political club.
Reid Seybold, the club president said he was a member of a club called "political round table" where the suspect was asked not to return due to his views.
"Basically our only rule was no Nazis — colloquially speaking — and he espoused so much white supremacist rhetoric, and far-right rhetoric, as well, to the point where we had to exercise that rule," Seybold said.
Seybold was in the Bellamy Building close to the Student Union when they heard gunshots.
"I was texting everybody I love, letting them know that I love them," Seybold told them. "I was, I was getting ready to die."
'We Are All Seminoles Today,' Gov. Desantis Says
Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a video that he and his wife were mourning the two lives lost during the shooting.
He also vowed to bring the shooter to justice "to the fullest extent of the law."
"We are all Seminoles today," DeSantis said. "We stand by to help in any way that we can. God bless you and God bless Florida State University."
Member Of Political Club Says Suspect Often Shared Views That Went Too Far
According to the president of Tallahassee State College's political discourse club, the suspect had been going to group meetings as recently as last semester, where he would often share far-right views that made others uncomfortable.
He promoted white supremacist views although the club was nonpartisan, with many club members calling him a fascist.
Former TSC Group Member 'Shocked' Ikner Was Suspect
An FSU student, Nicholas Lobo, who knew Ikner from a political discourse group said he was a bit shocked to find out he was the suspect in the shooting.
"I was driving when I saw someone message me and his name, and, like, I remembered it," Lobo said.
Although Lobo admitted he did not know Ikner very well, he described him as being "pretty normal; he was nice."
According to reports, one of the six people injured during the attack was in a critical condition. The shooter was shot by officers for failng to comply with their commands.
FSU President Visits Wounded Students In Hospital
FSU President Richard McCullough said he visited some of the wounded students in the hospital.
He also described campus police officers as "absolute heroes" whose response "prevented this from being a bigger tragedy."
Suspect Is Hospitalized With Non-life-threatening Injuries
Ikner has serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell also said that another person was injured while trying to flee, and it was unclear if they had been hospitalized.
"This remains an open and active investigation, and TPD is committed to bringing justice to the victims in this case," he added.
FBI Calls For Photos, Video And Other Info For Its Investigation
The FBI is requesting those with photos and video recordings or any information about the shooting scenes to send them through a website collecting tips.
Revell spoke about the confrontation the shooter had with police officers. He explained that they "challenged him and they ended up shooting him. He did not comply with commands and was shot. I do not believe he fired at all."
"Needless to say we have multiple crime scenes" with hundreds or even more witnesses, Revell said.
