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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (NEXSTAR/WFLA) – Multiple people are hospitalized and a suspect is reportedly in custody following an active shooter alert at Florida State University.
The emergency notification system for FSU had not indicated whether a suspect had been apprehended as of 3:30 p.m., but law enforcement sources for CNN and the Associated Press indicated that at least one suspect had been taken into custody.
The campus has since been secured, the Tallahassee Police Department told Nexstar. Law enforcement sources also confirmed via the school’s emergency alert system that they had “neutralized the threat.”
Multiple law enforcement agencies remain on site for the ongoing investigation,” the Tallahassee Police wrote in a statement obtained by Nexstar. “The Student Union and the surrounding area are still considered an active crime scene. Individuals should not return to the area for any reason.”
Police responded to reports of an active shooter in the school’s student union around 12 p.m. ET. People on the campus and in the immediate area were told to shelter in place, and lock and stay away from all windows and doors, according to an alert issued by FSU on X.
By 1 p.m., law enforcement was said to be “actively clearing rooms on the main campus,” according to the FSU emergency alert system.
VIDEO: Police respond to active shooter at Florida State University
A representative for the FBI also confirmed to Nexstar that agents had responded to the university to assist with the investigation.
People comfort each other on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee, where law enforcement responded to a reported active shooter incident Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)
Florida State University students wait for news amid an active shooter incident at the school’s campus in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Kate Payne)
Florida State University students wait for news amid an active shooter incident at the school’s campus in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Kate Payne)
The nearby Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare hospital released a statement after reports of the shooting. A spokesperson later confirmed six people were being treated at the hospital, with one in critical condition.
The other patients were in serious condition, the spokesperson said.
“TMH is actively receiving and caring for patients related to an incident that has occurred at Florida State University. At this time, details are still unfolding, and we do not yet have specific information to share. However, we want to assure the community that our teams are fully mobilized and prepared to provide the highest level of care and support to all those affected.”
After FSU issued its first active shooter alert on Thursday, ambulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus that sits just west of Florida’s state capital.
“Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding,” Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote on X.
Students flee from active shooter at Florida State University
Hundreds of students streamed away from the direction of the student union. Students were glued to their phones, some visibly emotional, while others hugged each other. Dozens gathered near the music school waiting for news.
The Tallahassee Police Department said a “student reunification center” has been set up at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. Buses are being made available for students who require transportation to the center.
Florida State University students wait for news amid an active shooter incident at the school’s campus in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Kate Payne)
Ryan Cedergren, a 21-year-old communications student, said he and about 30 others hid in the bowling alley in the lower level of the student union after seeing students running from a nearby bar.
“In that moment, it was survival,” he said.
President Donald Trump opened his Oval Office meeting with the Italian prime minister on Thursday with comments on the shooting at Florida State University, saying that he had been “fully briefed.”
“It’s a horrible thing,” he added. “It’s horrible that things like this take place.”
This is a developing story. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
