COLLEGE TOWN, FL — One year after an active shooter claimed the lives of two people on the Florida State University campus, the school has implemented widespread safety improvements while students and faculty reflect on the tragedy.
Florida State University Police Department Chief Jason Trumbower said the university completed a safety plan in months that was originally meant to take years. The school replaced 217 doors and 600 locks and installed panic and lockdown buttons in 700 classrooms.
“We’ve installed hundreds of locks and hardware throughout all of campus. We’ve installed active assailant buttons that automatically lock down our classrooms. We’ve installed hundreds of cameras and hundreds of license plate readers,” Trumbower said.
Trumbower said officers responded to the active shooter on April 17, 2025, in two minutes and 19 seconds, largely because of their training.
“We do it a couple of times a year for active assailant. We also do firearms training and a host of other trainings that all add to their response capabilities,” Trumbower said.
On Friday, one year after the shooting, students and faculty reflected with notes, flowers, and candles.
“It’s quiet. You can hear the cars driving on the street. You can hear people’s feet moving. So, you know that we’re all reflecting,” Florida State student Alexa Richardson said.
While the day was somber for many, it was also one filled with hope.
“Lean on the people you love. Tell the people who you love that you love them. Nobody has the right to steal your joy that comes from within you,” Richardson said.
The suspected gunman, Phoenix Ikner, has a trial set for October. State Attorney Jack Campbell said he is pursuing the death penalty. Ikner’s next case management will be on May 26th, per court records.
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