By Daniel Payne
CNA Staff, Apr 17, 2025 / 15:31 pm
Catholic students at Florida State University have been coming together in prayer and support for their fellow Seminoles amidst a tragic mass shooting that occurred on campus on Thursday, as shared by a ministry leader there with CNA.
By early Thursday evening, two individuals had lost their lives and several others were injured in the shooting at the Tallahassee campus. The authorities confirmed that the shooter had been apprehended following the incident, which reportedly took place in or near the campus student union.
Sam Nunnally, the director of the Catholic campus ministry at the university, revealed through email correspondence with CNA that their parish and facilities are located directly across the street from the FSU student union. This proximity allowed them to hear the gunshots as the incident unfolded.
During the event, many students in the vicinity sought refuge at the church and remained in lockdown there until the situation was under control, Nunnally explained.
The campus ministry staff have been providing the students with food and beverages while waiting for the campus to be declared safe. Nunnally mentioned, “Many of our Catholic students have been engaging in prayer, reciting rosaries, and assisting in serving the other students who sought shelter at our facilities.”
In a 2:50 p.m. tweet on Thursday, the university advised community members to “continue to shelter in place.”
“Law enforcement is actively clearing rooms on the main campus,” the school informed.
