"No escape in sight": College students fortify doors, contact their beloved ones following a shooter apparently picking targets at will.
A Student's Unforgettable Day: Florida State University's Mass Shooting
It was a chilling day at Florida State University (FSU) when Dakota Bages and her classmates heard scary screams, instantly setting their hearts racing. The horrifying incident unfolded shortly before noon on April 17, 2025, just steps away from the student union.
Unbeknownst to them, a gunman was creating chaos, unleashing terror that would leave two innocent lives lost and multiple others wounded.
"The noise made us lock down our study room as quickly as possible," Bages revealed. "We heard something that sounded like a man screaming, followed by a woman. It was sheer chaos."
In a split second, the students leaped into action, determined to shield themselves. Boston College alumnus Jayden D'Onofrio's friend, also trapped in the library, sent a terrifying message: an active shooter roamed the campus.
The news struck a familiar chord for D'Onofrio - a chill running down his spine as memories of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre resurfaced. Sadly, seven years later, he continued to experience the devastating impact of gun violence.
"This isn't just a 'one-off' incident; it keeps happening over and over," he expressed. "Despite all the новые законы (new laws), it's distressing to see that nothing is truly changing."
A Blood-soaked Scene
McKenzie Heeter, leaving the student union, saw an ominous orange Hummer parked nearby on a service road. As she moved closer, she noticed a man brandishing a larger gun. A barrage of gunfire erupted, narrowly missing her and other students.
The gunman then reloaded, targeting a woman wearing purple scrubs, fatally wounding her in the back. Heeter sprinted away, fear gripping her, as the rhythmic gunfire continued to echo.
Active Shooter Training Saves Lives
As the news spread, thousands of students and faculty instantly went into lockdown. Seniors like Sam Swartz quickly recalled high school training on how to respond to school shootings.
Huddled with others in the student union basement, they stacked plywood and trash cans to create a barricade, aiming to buy time and deter the shooter.
"I didn't want to give him any easy targets," Swartz explained. "Victims are always the shooter's goal. Barricading ourselves could slow him down."
Living in a State of Constant Fear
Across campus, students huddled beneath desks, texting loved ones in terror. Holden Mamula, in his calculus class, heard sirens and the emergency alert blaring through campus speakers.
"I saw a police officer with an assault rifle," he said. "It hit me like a ton of bricks - this is real."
Mamula texted his parents and knelt in preparation to run, as classmates barricaded themselves behind desks and shut off the lights.
"It's frightening to think about the countless mass shootings that occur in this country," Mamula confessed. "I can't express the emotion one goes through when they experience such a harrowing event."
A Freshman's Unwanted Welcome
The shooting had occurred just two weeks before the end of the semester - a time when seniors were preparing for graduation. In the midst of it, dozens of incoming freshmen were excitedly touring the campus, only to be thrown into a lockdown.
High school senior Kylie Byun and her family had recently left the student union, minutes before the building turned into a scene of horror. They were led into a nearby auditorium filled with other prospective students and parents for an admission tour.
Suddenly, an FSU student burst into the room, shouting about an active shooter.
"There was a degree of panic as we realized our own safety, as well as everyone else on campus," Byun recalled.
The aspiring biology major and medical school hopeful remained calm as she followed the lockdown procedures. Despite the troubling incident, she remains committed to attending FSU in the fall, drawing comfort from the university's handling of the situation.
"I understand that H cementineki esta presente todo el tiempo (such events can happen anywhere)," she said. "Y sin embargo, lo que dentro de las escuelas le enseñaron nos hizo sentirse más seguros."
CNN's Hanser Diaz reported from Tallahassee, Florida, and Niamatullah Arefi, Lindsay Saxon, Stella Lee, Joe Sutton, and Randi Kaye contributed to this report.
Enrichment Data:
### Overall: The mass shooting at Florida State University (FSU) occurred on April 17, 2025. Below is a detailed timeline of the events:
- 11:00 a.m.: The suspect, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, arrived at an FSU parking garage. He lingered in the area for about an hour, appearing to prepare for the shooting based on surveillance footage[2][4].
- 11:51 a.m.: Ikner left the parking garage and entered the campus[2][4].
- 11:56/57 a.m.: Ikner began shooting. It is reported that he moved through buildings and green spaces on campus, discharging a handgun[4].
- 11:58 a.m.: Multiple 911 calls were made as people reported an active shooter. Police responded quickly to the scene[4].
- 12:00 p.m.: Ikner was shot by responding officers and taken into custody[2][4].
- 12:02 p.m.: FSU issued an alert about an active shooter near the Student Union, instructing community members to shelter in place[1].
- 12:19 p.m. and 12:39 p.m.: Follow-up alerts confirmed police activity and reiterated the shelter-in-place order[1].
- 2:44 p.m.: FSU announced that law enforcement was clearing rooms, introduced the safe word "SEMINOLE," and canceled classes and business operations through Friday and athletics events through Sunday[1].
- 3:18 p.m.: Authorities announced that the threat had been neutralized but advised the public to avoid the Student Union and surrounding buildings, which remained active crime scenes[1].
The shooting resulted in the deaths of two people and injured six others[1][3]. The suspect, Phoenix Ikner, was identified as the son of a Leon County deputy sheriff[1].
US students at Florida State University (FSU) lived in fear and fear, huddled in classrooms or beneath desks, as they heard the sounds of gunfire and screaming on April 17, 2025.A student, McKenzie Heeter, witnessed the gunman brandishing a larger gun near the student union, narrowly escaping the barrage of gunfire.In response to the acts of terror, students recalled active shooter training, using plywood and trash cans to create barricades in the student union basement.Even after the traumatic event, some students remained sure of their decision to attend FSU, citing the university's handling of the situation and the belief that such acts of crime and justice are not limited to a single institution or location.
