STUDENTS AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY ADAMANT ABOUT SAFETY MEASURES AFTER ON-CAMPUS SHOOTING
Students at Florida State University call for enhanced security precautions following a campus shooting incident.
After the tragic shooting at Florida State University (FSU) in April, students are demanding action to boost campus security. The shooting, the second in over a decade on campus, has left many wondering how to restore a sense of safety. Regan McCarthy reports from the member station WFSU.
"WHAT DO WE WANT?" "GUN SAFETY." "WHEN DO WE WANT IT?" "NOW."
Students at FSU rally, with signs showing slogans like "Thoughts and prayers don't stop bullets" and "Take away our guns, not our lives." The slaughter was a jarring reminder that safety can't always be guaranteed at places that should be secure.
FRESHMAN CATALINA SALGADO RECALLS her experience working out in the university gym during the shooting. She vividly remembers the terror as hours ticked by while she was locked down, frantically trying to learn the fate of her friends.
"I DON'T THINK ANYONE CAN PREPARE YOU FOR THIS SITUATION," she admits. "I was used to being prepared for a classroom setting, but there's really no protocol for what to do when you're just walking on campus or in an open area like we were."
SIMON MONTELEONE, ANOTHER STUDENT, RECALLS hearing gunfire and rushing to the nearest classroom. He testified to lawmakers that he found the doors inside the Bellamy Building refused to lock. Facing an active shooter, students took matters into their own hands, quickly turning off lights and stacking chairs to create a barricade, Monteleone recounts.
Students are now demanding several security improvements: locks in classrooms that professors can activate, active-shooter training for staff and faculty, and increased firearm safety regulations, such as expanded gun storage requirements.
FSU student Caleb Miller weighs in on the issue. Miller's musings on gun reform highlight a common sentiment—he's torn between the desire for campus safety and the knowledge that some students would appreciate the ability to carry firearms on campus to protect themselves.
"I MEAN, I'M SURE IF YOU HAD A RESPONSIBLE KID WITH A GUN AND YOU'RE IN A CLASS AND THAT CLASS SUDENLY GETS SHOT UP, YOU'D BE HAPPY THAT THAT KID HAS A GUN AND IS WILLING TO USE IT IN ORDER FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF ALL OF HIS FELLOW STUDENTS." Miller ponders. "ON THE OTHER HAND, I COULD SEE HOW SOMEONE WOULD BE SCARED THAT THIS KID HAS A GUN AND AT ANY SECOND HE COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT."
The university is set to wrap up the current semester, leaving the campus eerily quiet as students opt to miss their finals or continue classes online. The alleged shooter remains in the hospital after being shot by police and has yet to face charges.
For now, FSU maintains the site response.fsu.edu for updates and recovery resources as investigations continue. No specific details on improvements have been unveiled. Nonetheless, the university is under pressure from students, advocacy groups, and the public to address security concerns and create a plan of action to make FSU a safe space once again.
- Students at Florida State University, in the wake of an on-campus shooting, are urging for updates in education-and-self-development programs to include active-shooter training for staff and faculty.
- In the aftermath of the shooting, Catalina Salgado, a freshman at FSU, expressed concerns about the lack of safety procedures outside of the classroom.
- Simon Monteleone, another student, testified before lawmakers about the malfunctioning locks on the inside doors of the Bellamy Building during the shooting, emphasizing the need for improved firearm safety regulations.
- Members of the FSU community, including students like Caleb Miller, are advocating for updates in the 'education-and-self-development' sector to address the issue of campus safety, while also acknowledging the complexities surrounding gun reform.
- Following the shooting, general-news outlets, such as WFSU, have covered the challenges students face in ensuring their safety, while also addressing the political nuances of implementing gun safety measures on campus.
