U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called the shooting at Florida State University (FSU) in the city of Tallahassee, which left at least six people injured, one of them critically, “a shame”.
The president offered his first statements from the Oval Office, expressing dismay and anticipating a broader official response from the federal government.
Trump reacts to Florida shooting
Trump on the FSU Student Union school shooting: “Things like this take place” pic.twitter.com/e1jvO6ltWv
– PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) April 17, 2025
“It’s a shame and it’s horrible that this kind of thing happens,” Trump told reporters.
Although he did not detail specific measures at the time, he noted that his administration is working in coordination with state and local authorities to clarify the case and ensure the safety of the students.
What happened at Florida State University?
The shooting occurred around noon, when the university activated an “active shooter” alert at 12:02 p.m. EDT.
The academic community was instructed to immediately take shelter and block doors, while SWAT teams and local police surrounded the campus.
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare hospital spokeswoman Stephanie Derzypolski confirmed to the Tallahassee Democrat that they received six patients related to the incident. One is in critical condition and the other five have serious injuries.
A Tallahassee Police spokesperson reported that one person is in custody, although it has not been confirmed if he is the only person responsible for the attack.
Reactions from the authorities
In addition to President Trump, other Florida state figures were quick to react.
Governor Ron DeSantis wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account that authorities are “actively responding to the situation” and asked for prayers for the victims and their families.
Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez also spoke out, calling the event “terrifying and any parent’s worst nightmare.”
What we are watching unfold at FSU is terrifying and every parent’s worst nightmare. We are continuing to monitor the news here in Tallahassee and urge everyone to pray for the students, families, faculty, first responders and all involved
Daniel Pérez
The shooting has generated a new national call for safety on college campuses, especially in states with high student populations such as Florida, which has one of the highest concentrations of public universities in the country.
Security measures and school closings
Florida State University, home to more than 40,000 students, maintained emergency protocol for several hours.
A system of text message and email alerts was implemented, and a code was enabled so that locked-in students could report whether they were safe without giving away their location.
School officials in Leon County, where Tallahassee is located, ordered the immediate closure of all public schools and community colleges as a precaution against the possibility of related incidents.
Impact for the U.S. Hispanic community
The shooting has especially impacted Hispanic families who have children in universities in the country.
Florida, with a Hispanic population of more than 6 million people, is home to thousands of Latino students who face these risks while pursuing a college education.
For many immigrants, such events reinforce the fear of gun violence in educational institutions, a situation less common in their home countries.
What’s next?
Buzzy
President Trump announced that his administration will release further official statements in the coming hours and that the situation is being closely monitored. At this time, the motives for the attack and the identity of the alleged shooter have not been made public.
Both the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are expected to be involved in the investigations, and further recommendations for educational institutions nationwide are not ruled out.
Update in progress. We will continue to update as official information is confirmed.
If you have family members in the Tallahassee area or at nearby universities, stay tuned to local security channels and official notifications from the institutions.
For more updates, visit QueOnnda.com.
