For John Mancuso, the panic and helplessness felt all too familiar. The Fort Lauderdale father waited once again for a call no parent wants to expect, confirmation that his son was safe after a school shooting.
This time, it was on the campus of Florida State University, the first time was Parkland.
A painful pattern, sixth grade to freshman year
John’s son, Domenic Mancuso, now 18, was sheltering in a campus gym when the shooting unfolded at FSU.
His first instinct was to call home. “This is just a connection, a special connection me and my dad always had,” he said. “If something ever went down, he’s the person I call… he always has his phone on him.”
Domenic said the experience mirrored another terrifying moment in his life when he was in sixth grade and had to shelter in place at Loggers Run Middle School during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018.
“Pretty much the exact same setup,” he recalled. “This is ridiculous that any person should have to go through this.”
A father’s fear and a family’s relief
Back in Fort Lauderdale, John said his immediate reaction was to drive to Tallahassee, but he held off after the school urged parents to stay where they were.
“There’s so many scenarios that went through my head, but as soon as I heard him on the phone, I knew we were going to be OK,” he said.
Though Domenic is now safe at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, he and other students are still not allowed to return to their dorms. John says he’s grateful but heartbroken for other families.
“Sad for everybody else, happy that Dominic’s OK… Really a shame that kids have to go through this, going off to their first year of college. A lot of firsts, and active shooter shouldn’t be one of the firsts.”
