One Year After Deadly FSU Shooting, Students Recount Terror as Safety Bill Awaits Governor's Signature

Florida State University pauses for a moment of silence on the anniversary of the tragic campus attack that left two dead.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 12:49am

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An extreme close-up of a shattered glass fragment or bullet casing from the FSU shooting scene, captured in stark, dramatic lighting to convey the gravity of the incident and the call for enhanced security protocols.The aftermath of the deadly FSU shooting exposes the urgent need for improved campus safety measures to protect students.Tallahassee Today

Friday, April 17 marks one year since the deadly mass shooting at Florida State University that left two students dead. FSU President Richard McCullough announced the university will pause for a moment of silence at noon to honor the lives lost. Students recounted the terror they experienced during the attack, with some barricading themselves in classrooms and others fleeing in panic. In the aftermath, students rallied at the Florida Capitol, calling for stronger campus safety measures. A new school safety bill, HB 757, aims to increase security, establish an alert system, require locks on all classroom doors, and expand the guardian program. The bill now awaits Governor Ron DeSantis' signature.

Why it matters

The FSU shooting highlighted the ongoing challenges universities face in ensuring campus safety and the need for comprehensive security measures to protect students. The proposed legislation is a direct response to the concerns raised by students in the wake of the tragedy, demonstrating the power of grassroots advocacy to drive policy change.

The details

According to the Tallahassee Police Department timeline, the suspected shooter, Phoenix Ikner, arrived on the FSU campus around 11 a.m. and stayed in the area for an hour before opening fire between 11:56 a.m. and 11:57 a.m. Multiple 911 calls reported an active shooter, and Ikner was shot and taken into custody by responding officers by noon. Students described the chaos, with some running for their lives and others barricading themselves in classrooms, unsure of the shooter's location. Some classrooms had locks, while larger lecture halls did not, leaving students feeling unsafe.

  • On April 17, 2026, it will mark one year since the deadly mass shooting at Florida State University.
  • At noon on April 17, 2026, FSU will pause for a moment of silence to honor the lives lost.
  • According to the Tallahassee Police Department timeline, the first shot was fired between 11:56 a.m. and 11:57 a.m. on April 17, 2025.
  • By 12 p.m. on April 17, 2025, the suspect was shot by responding officers and taken into custody.

The players

Richard McCullough

The president of Florida State University.

Phoenix Ikner

The suspected shooter in the Florida State University mass shooting.

Robert Morales

One of the two students killed in the Florida State University mass shooting.

Tiru Chabba

One of the two students killed in the Florida State University mass shooting.

Michelle Salzman

The Pensacola Representative (R-Escambia) who led the charge to pass HB 757, the new school safety bill.

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What they’re saying

“We just saw stretchers, I heard yelling and we saw a girl being legit carried out by cops and placed onto a stretcher in the ambulance.”

— Shayna Nickvarz, FSU student

“Ten, twenty people started just running past me. And I was like, 'What is going on?' And people are screaming, there's a shooter.”

— Christian Maldonado, Former FSU student

“It was incredibly scary. It was kind of crazy how fast we all just like worked together and moved the filing cabinet in front of the door.”

— Teagan Hayes, FSU grad student

“There should be door locks inside classrooms, or at the very least, a way for teachers to lock doors because the fact that TPD could barge open our door and those chairs did nothing was incredibly unsafe and it did not provide any sort of safety towards me or towards any of my fellow students.”

— Simon Monteleone, FSU student

“The number one thing that we found was the hardening. We really did need locks on the doors; we really did need an alert system.”

— Michelle Salzman, Pensacola Representative (R-Escambia)

What’s next

Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign HB 757, the new school safety bill, into law in the coming weeks. The legislation aims to increase campus security, establish a university-wide alert system, require locks on all classroom doors, and expand the guardian program.

The takeaway

The FSU shooting tragedy has galvanized students and lawmakers to prioritize campus safety and security measures, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive solutions to protect students in the event of an active shooter situation. The proposed legislation represents a significant step forward, but continued vigilance and advocacy will be crucial to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students on college campuses.