FSU community holds vigil Friday after campus mass shooting: "We grieve together"
Florida State University
students, faculty, and community members gathered at Langford Green on Friday evening for a vigil honoring the victims of
Thursday's shooting
on campus.
The university-organized vigil began at around 5 p.m. local time in front of the Unconquered Statue, a symbol of strength and unity at FSU.
"It was horrible what everyone on campus had to go through. No student should ever have to go through that," senior Eve McIver said.
School officials said the event was meant to offer space for reflection, grief, and support following the violence that shook the campus the previous day.
"All of us at Florida State are hurting," said FSU President Richard McCullough
in a statement Thursday night
. "But we grieve together, and we will heal together."
The Student Union and surrounding buildings remain closed Friday and are still considered an active crime scene as investigators continue to piece together the events that unfolded around 12:01 p.m. Thursday.
Authorities have not released additional details about the suspect's possible motive. Authorities told reporters the weapon used
in Thursday's shooting
by 20-year-old
Phoenix Ikner
was a former service weapon belonging to the suspect's stepmother, a Leon County Sheriff's deputy, which she now owned as a personal handgun.
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said Friday it was treating five victims and the alleged shooter.
In addition to the official vigil on campus,
smaller student-led gatherings
are being planned off campus throughout the day as students search for a sense of peace and solidarity amid continued uncertainty.
The university had canceled all classes and events for Thursday and Friday, and all athletic events in Tallahassee have been suspended through the weekend.
The chaos and fear of Thursday's alert remain fresh in the minds of many on campus. Students described moments of confusion, panic, and desperate attempts to reach loved ones. For many, the vigil will be their first opportunity to begin processing what happened as a community.
"After something like this, we need to be with each other," said senior
Ava Arenado
, who fled her classroom after learning of the alert. "Even if we don't know the victims personally, they're part of us. We're all part of this."
University counseling services remain available for students in need of support at (850) 644-TALK.
Law enforcement is still asking those with information, photos, or videos related to the shooting to contact 850-891-4987 or submit materials at
www.fbi.gov/fsushooting
.
Classes are expected to resume Monday.
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