Students from a private school in Atlanta were forced to take shelter Thursday as gunfire erupted during their visit to Florida State University.
Several 10th graders at Drew Charter School were on the Tallahassee campus for a college tour around noon when a lockdown was initiated, school spokesperson Charisse Richardson said.
“Throughout the situation, all of our students and staff remained accounted for and safe,” Richardson confirmed.
Shots began to ring out around 11:50 a.m. University police spokesperson Jason Trumbower said multiple people were shot in the vicinity of the student union building, which is just south of West Tennessee Street on the edge of campus.
Two people, who Trumbower said were not students, were killed. Five others were taken to a hospital after being shot, he added. The suspect was also taken to a hospital.
Trumbower said the suspected gunman “is believed to be a current FSU student.”
Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil identified the suspect as the 20-year-old son of a sheriff’s deputy, who obtained access to his parent’s weapon. The shooter was also “engaged in a number of training programs” offered by the sheriff’s office, McNeil said.
Students and chaperones from Drew Charter School, located off Memorial Drive in southeast Atlanta, are now preparing to return to the city by Thursday evening.
“Let us remain Drew strong as we uplift those from our Drew community currently in Florida. We are keeping them at the center of our thoughts at this time. Our hearts also go out to all of those on FSU’s campus impacted by this situation,” Richardson said.
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