On April 17, 2025, a tragic shooting occurred near the student union at Florida State University (FSU), resulting in two deaths and six injuries. For FSU student Robbie Alhadeff, the incident was a painful reminder of the 2018 Parkland high school massacre, where his 14-year-old sister, Alyssa, was among the 17 victims.Miami Herald+4DNyuz+4ABC News+4
Alhadeff recounted that he was walking to his apartment when he received texts from friends about the gunfire. He immediately returned to his apartment, overwhelmed by fear and memories of the past tragedy. Reflecting on the recurrence of such violence, he expressed his frustration: “I thought this would never happen again… but it continuously keeps happening — and something has to change.” ABC News+1DNyuz+1ABC30 Fresno
Other Parkland survivors at FSU, like graduate student Joshua Gallagher, also experienced the trauma anew. Gallagher, who was in the FSU Law Library during the shooting, shared his disbelief on social media: “After living through the MSD shooting in 2018, I never thought it would hit close to home again… No matter your politics, we need to meet—and something has to change.” FOX 13 Tampa Bay+2WPLG+2WJXT+2WJXT+1Newsweek+1
The shooter, identified as 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner, was apprehended and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigations revealed that Ikner, the stepson of a former sheriff’s deputy, accessed weapons, including one possibly through his mother’s service. AP News
The FSU community, already reeling from the incident, is now grappling with the added trauma experienced by students who have survived multiple school shootings. Mental health experts emphasize the importance of addressing the compounded emotional toll on these individuals. FOX 13 Tampa Bay
In the aftermath, calls for meaningful action against gun violence have intensified. Advocates like Manuel Oliver, who lost his son Joaquin in the Parkland shooting, stress the urgency: “We will continue to fight — these kinds of events empower us to do more, different things, because whatever we’ve been trying is not enough.” ABC30 Fresno+1ABC News+1
As the FSU community mourns and seeks healing, the voices of survivors like Alhadeff and Gallagher underscore a collective plea for change to prevent future tragedies.
