Gunfire Shatters Routine at FSU
Florida State University students are slowly returning to the student union area to collect personal items left behind during Thursday’s deadly shooting. The familiar setting now feels foreign and frightening as the community grapples with the trauma.
A Close Call for One Student
McKenzie Heeter, a 20-year-old junior, was among those closest to the shooter when the gunfire began.
“I had just picked up food and was heading out of the union,” Heeter told ABC News. “I saw this orange vehicle that looked like a Hummer, and a man in a matching orange shirt waving a big rifle. Then he pulled out a handgun and shot a woman. That’s when I ran.”
A Run for Her Life
Heeter fled in panic, running across campus in sandals, driven by pure fear.
“I think I ran a four-minute mile. I’ve never moved like that in my life,” she said. “I kept thinking, ‘If I don’t run, I’m next.’”
An Image That Won’t Go Away
While much of the day feels like a blur, one moment remains painfully vivid for Heeter: seeing the gunman shoot a woman in purple scrubs.
“She had her back to him. She was just walking. I don’t even think she realized what happened,” Heeter said. “That’s what I can’t stop thinking about.”
A Mother’s Comfort in the Midst of Chaos
As soon as she found safety, Heeter called her mother.
“She’s my best friend. I needed her to know I was okay,” she said.
The Investigation and the Gunman
Authorities say the gunman, the stepson of a local sheriff’s deputy, used his stepmother’s former service weapon in the attack. He also carried a shotgun. Two people were killed, neither of them students, and six others were injured. One person who had been in critical condition was later upgraded to fair along with the rest of the injured survivors.
Law enforcement shot and injured the suspect, who remains hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
A Community Shaken
The attack has left students and staff feeling violated and vulnerable.
“The most heartbreaking part is how unsafe we all feel now,” Heeter said. “Someone came and took that security from us.”
Counselors remain available to support the FSU community as it begins the long road to healing.
Stay informed on this tragic story’s developments with us on Que Onda Magazine.