11 days after a mass shooting occurred in and around Florida State University’s student union, university leadership officially reopened the building at the center of student life on campus.
Hundreds of students, faculty and local government officials gathered outside the student union Thursday for its reopening.
During a ceremony before people were let in, FSU President Richard McCullough said his administration decided to reopen the building after speaking with hundreds of students.
“Seniors, in particular, with a very loud voice said that they wanted us to open the union so that they could have time in their last few days here at Florida State University (to) remember our university the way that they always remembered it with the union being here and the central role that it plays in our in the life of our campus,” he said.
McCullough also said it’s important to not let the horrific murder of two adults and injury of six students define what that building and the campus stand for.
“We can't let hatred and an act of violence change the place that we have. It can change us, of course, but it doesn't define who we are. What defines who we are is how we respond, and I've seen that response as we go around campus,” he said.
After McCullough’s remarks, people with valid FSU ids were allowed into the union, where free snacks and beverages were available.
Some students, like Talyn Fisk, had mixed feelings about how quickly the student union was reopened.
“It seems to me just a little rushed. I would have given it more time. But I do also understand that a lot of these students rely on the union. That it’s a big part of the community,” he said.
Other students, like Ciara Maurer, feel like it was the right thing to do for graduating seniors to have one more positive memory of the union. She left the campus the day of the shooting and came back last Friday. Since being back, she said university staff have done everything they could to make her feel safe.
“I've noticed a lot of police around, which made me feel very safe. I think their response to safety and everything after the shooting has been really has been done really well, and I felt very safe from coming back on campus,” she said.
The students who were injured in the shooting are now all out of the hospital. The gunman, who was also a student, remains in the hospital after being shot by FSU police.
