In the wake of a tragic shooting incident at Florida State University (FSU) on Thursday, the president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Randi Weingarten, has reiterated the union’s commitment to advocating for comprehensive gun safety measures across the country. This incident comes shortly after two other shootings occurred in Texas, highlighting a troubling trend of firearm violence impacting educational institutions.

Details of the Incident

FSU’s Chief of Police, Jason Trumbower, confirmed that the shooting resulted in two fatalities—neither of whom were affiliated with the university—as well as six injuries. The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, the son of a Leon County sheriff deputy, was also shot during the altercation and is currently receiving medical attention.

Calls for Reform

Weingarten emphasized the urgent need for legislative action to protect students and communities from gun violence. “Campuses and classrooms must be safe and welcoming places, but they can become unsafe in an instant because of the ever-present threat of gun violence,” she stated. She expressed the union’s stance against the gun culture prevalent in the United States, advocating for the following reforms:

• Removal of military-style weapons from public circulation.
• Enhanced funding for community violence intervention initiatives.
• Strict enforcement of background check requirements and safe-storage regulations.
• A ban on high-capacity magazines.
• Implementation of more risk-protection laws.

“Lawmakers must urgently move to thwart these horrific events that result in terrifying and tragic real-world consequences,” Weingarten concluded.

Personal Impact and Community Response

Fred Guttenberg, an advocate for gun violence prevention and father of Jaime Guttenberg, who was killed in the 2018 Parkland shooting, reflected on the recent events. He noted the psychological toll on students who have survived previous shootings. “Many of her friends who were lucky enough to survive that shooting went on to attend FSU. Incredibly, some of them were just a part of their second school shooting,” he shared on social media.

The resonance of this latest incident is amplified by the involvement of survivors from past tragedies, as evidenced by reports indicating that a survivor of the Parkland shooting was present on the FSU campus during the incident.

Advocacy Organizations React

In response to the latest shooting, the gun violence prevention organization Giffords highlighted gaps in Florida’s gun control laws. They took to social media to state, “What Florida doesn’t have: Universal background checks, assault weapon restrictions, large-capacity magazine bans. What Florida does have: The latest school shooting in America.”