USF increases police presence after FSU shooting
USF President Rhea Law said police activity is increasing at USF campuses in an “abundance of caution” in light of a shooting at Florida State University on Thursday afternoon.
Law assured students, faculty and staff that there is “no reason to believe” USF is in danger.
A shooter, 20, at Florida State University, opened fire at the university’s student union Thursday afternoon, resulting in two casualties and injuring six as of 7 p.m. Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
The shooter, identified by law enforcement as the son of a Leon County sheriff’s deputy, has been taken into custody, though a motive for the shooting was unclear at the time of publication.
Law sent out a university-wide email around four hours after the shooting, saying the USF community is “devastated by the events” at FSU.
“Please know that the University of South Florida stands in solidarity with the FSU community, and we are here for you,” Law wrote.
FSU will remain closed through Sunday, and buildings were swept and evacuated as students walked out with their “hands over their heads,” according to an AP article.
The USF Student Government Instagram pages collaborated on a post about the shooting. They captioned the post #fsustrong, offering support and encouragement to FSU during a time of “immense grief and shock.”
In the email, Law recognized people in the USF community may have connections with FSU community members and offered them her support.
Law also extended additional resources for counseling services, such as TimelyCare and TogetherAll, to those who were “personally impacted” by the shooting.
Then, Law closed the email with a statement comforting the community at both universities.
“Together, we will navigate through this difficult time with compassion and support for one another,” Law said.
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