Tallahassee, Florida — Panic and heartbreak swept through Florida State University on Thursday, 18 April 2025, after a shooting at the school’s student union left two people dead and at least five others injured.

FSU Police Chief Jason Trumbower confirmed that the 20-year-old gunman—believed to be a student at the university—used his father’s former service weapon to carry out the attack. The shooter, who survived and is receiving medical treatment, is the son of a sheriff’s deputy.

The victims who died were not students, officials said. Five others remain hospitalized, with one in critical condition.

Chaos at the student union

The shooting began around midday, prompting a flood of emergency alerts and a massive law enforcement response. Ambulances and police units from across the city swarmed the campus, where students and visitors sought cover amid confusion and fear.

Communications student Ryan Cedergren was in a bowling alley in the student union’s lower level when he saw people sprinting from a nearby bar. He and about 30 others ducked for cover.

“In that moment, it was survival,” he recalled.

Visitors on a campus tour also found themselves caught in the chaos. Chris Pento and his two children were having lunch in the union when the shots rang out.

“It was surreal. And people just started running,” he told local news outlet WCTV.

They packed into a service elevator before being met by armed officers, who helped guide them to safety.

Community in lockdown and mourning

The university’s alert system issued an all-clear about three hours after the shooting, confirming that the suspect had been “neutralized.” But large sections of the campus remained cordoned off with crime scene tape, especially around the student union.

Students who had left behind belongings during the evacuation waited anxiously outside, some huddled in prayer circles.

President Donald Trump said he had been fully briefed and called the tragedy “a horrible thing.”

A chilling reminder of past violence

For many at FSU, the shooting evoked painful memories of a 2014 attack at the campus’s main library that left three people wounded and the gunman dead.

“I’m in shock. You don’t expect this to happen twice,” said sophomore Kai McGalla, who was locked in a campus testing center during Thursday’s events.

University officials canceled all classes and events for the rest of the day, extending the suspension of campus activities through the weekend, including scheduled athletic events.

As of Friday morning, the identities of the victims had not yet been publicly released. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, with the FBI and local law enforcement agencies collaborating on the case.

(Story based on reporting by the Associated Press)