Thursday’s mass shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee is one of several similar tragic events that have taken at Florida universities over the last three decades.
The latest FSU shooting, which occurred around noon near the student union, resulted in at least two dead and six injured. A suspect has been taken into custody, and the university quickly canceled classes.
2014 FSU library shooting
This most recent incident at FSU is reminiscent of a previous shooting on Nov. 20, 2014, when a 31-year-old attorney and FSU graduate shot three people – including two students and a library employee – at Strozier Library before being gunned down by police.
Up to 500 students were reportedly in the library at the time of the shooting, prompting many to barricade themselves or flee.
Increased security measures and heightened awareness about campus safety stemmed from the 2014 incident.
Other shootings at Florida universities have included:
2015 Florida A&M University off-campus party shooting
- Date: Oct. 29, 2015
- What happened: One person was killed and four others injured in a shooting at an off-campus party near the Hansel Tookes Recreation Center on Wahnish Way. Shooter Chedderick Thomas opened fire into a crowd at the outdoor basketball courts. Thomas was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
2014 Florida International University robbery and shooting
- Date: Jan. 22, 2014
- What happened: A 21-year-old man was fatally shot in an apparent robbery on the third floor of the campus parking garage at 4th Street Commons, off-campus housing.
2013 University of Central Florida, suicide before wider attack
- Date: March 18, 2013
- What happened: James Oliver Seevakumaran, a UCF business major who wasn’t enrolled in the spring semester, planned a mass shooting at the Tower 1 dormitory but committed suicide before carrying it out. According to reports, he had been evicted from his dormitory before his planned attack. He had amassed multiple weapons, including guns and explosive devices.
1996 FSU robbery attempt ends in fatal shooting
- Date: Nov. 2, 1996
- What happened: A 21-year-old man was shot and killed by a local resident during a robbery attempt near the campus library. The perpetrator was apprehended by police shortly after the incident.
1995 Florida A&M, student shot and killed
- Date: Oct. 29, 1995
- What happened: A 20-year-old student was shot and killed during a dispute near the campus library.
1990 University of Florida student-on-student fatal shooting
- Date: June 5, 1990
- What happened: A student was fatally shot by a fellow student during a dispute. Police apprehended the assailant shortly after the incident.
