NEWTOWN, Conn. – Two people were killed and six others are hospitalized following a mass shooting that occurred Thursday at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. A 20-year-old suspect has been taken into custody after being shot and wounded by police. The shooter reportedly used a former service handgun that belongs to his mother, who is a Leon County Sherriff’s Deputy.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 36 mass shootings in Florida since the start of 2024. Additionally, Florida’s gun death rate increased 18% between 2013 and 2022, based on most recent available finalized data from CDC.
Reports have stated that several of the students who were present on campus during yesterday’s attack also survived the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida.
In response to this attack, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“This is the heartbreaking reality our children now face: it is possible to live through more than one school shooting in your lifetime. Yesterday’s tragedy at Florida State University is yet another painful reminder. Several students who survived the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018 just endured their second mass school shooting. And worse – this isn’t an isolated case. Some of the students who survived the 2023 Michigan State University shooting also survived the 2021 Oxford High School shooting.
“This is not a coincidence. It is a pattern. And we must ask ourselves: what are we doing – or failing to do – as a nation that allows this to continue? School shootings are preventable when we take action. Yet, in the hours since the FSU shooting occurred, there have been far too few signs of action. Our nation’s youth need our elected leaders to do their jobs and implement policies and programs that will protect them.
“We have the tools, evidence, and programming to address the root causes of violence in a way that prevents tragedies. When we teach our youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and intervene early, we can save lives. When we practice secure storage, we can keep weapons away from those who wish to do harm. These are tangible actions that make a difference. And we must prioritize these actions now, before more of our youth become part of this deadly pattern.”
For more information about proven programs that prevent violence, as well as resources for communities, and information about ways to support life-saving firearm access policies, please visit sandyhookpromise.org.
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
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