In the aftermath of the April 17, 2025, mass shooting at Florida State University that left two dead and six injured, concerns regarding communication and accountability remain.
The shooting prompted immediate lockdowns in campus classrooms and facilities, requiring faculty and staff to make split-second decisions on how to protect themselves and their students while information about the situation remained limited. Among faculty members, concerns that they may be reprimanded for their response to the tragedy are mounting.
Andrew Ballard, a political science professor at FSU, said that he was teaching when the chaos started. He hid with his students in a dark classroom with a makeshift barricade for about 45 minutes before law enforcement was able to evacuate them.
Ballard’s response was one that FSU would deem acceptable. Professors who didn’t respond in this way might be held responsible for their actions.
FSUPD and university safety directives at odds
In the aftermath of the shooting, faculty may not have clear instructions as to how to respond — in a way that won’t get them reprimanded — if tragedy strikes again. Ballard declined to comment directly on investigations into faculty behavior during the shooting or their outcomes.
However, according to Ballard, there is “substantial tension” between the university’s instructions and the safety directives from the Florida State University Police Department (FSUPD).
“[FSUPD] said that if [their safety] directives conflict with university policy in a way that might lead to disciplinary action later, at least you’ll be more likely to be alive to be disciplined,” Ballard said. He attended an optional training session given by FSUPD. “The university wants faculty to protect students, regardless if that is the safest decision for their own lives.”
Since the shooting, FSU has increased campus safety measures by equipping campus classrooms with lockdown and panic buttons that alert FSUPD to emergencies. Additionally, FSUPD now offers safety training sessions, although they are not mandatory for faculty.
When asked if FSU professors should be reprimanded in the aftermath of the shooting, most students explained that they did not believe disciplinary actions were appropriate.
“No, the faculty was not at fault here; it’s the Federal laws in place that caused the incident,” FSU public health major Nina Blatz, who was at the Student Union at the time of the shooting, said to the FSView.
Some students feel the situation is too complex to have one clear or direct solution.
“I think the appropriate response is support first, review later,” professional sales major Ashley Newsom said to the FSView. “Accountability should come only after care and careful investigation, not as an immediate reaction to crisis behavior. It is difficult to decide on this matter because it’s such a scary and complicated issue.”
FSU declined to comment on faculty reprimands. FSUPD did not respond to requests for comment.
Questions remain about FSU’s communication the day of the shooting
Students described having mixed experiences with communication during the shooting. Several of them learned about it through messages from friends and colleagues rather than from official university alerts.
“My roommate texted me that there’s a school shooter and that it wasn’t a joke,” Blatz said. “I immediately received a series of texts and calls from other people to warn me about the situation as well.”
Another student expressed feeling unsure about the accuracy of the information they were getting during the shooting.
“My friend texted about it in our group chat,” marketing major Audrey Sargent said to the FSView. “I thought it was a false alarm.”
Emma Almanza is a Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at contact@fsview.com.
This article originally appeared on FSU News: Faculty face potential repercussions in the wake of April 17 shooting
Reporting by Emma Almanza, Staff Writer, FSView / FSU News
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