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2014 Florida State University shooting

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Coordinates: 30°26′35″N 84°17′42″W / 30.4431°N 84.2950°W / 30.4431; -84.2950
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2014 Florida State University shooting
Photo of Strozier Library building, where the shooting occurred
LocationFlorida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Coordinates30°26′35″N 84°17′42″W / 30.4431°N 84.2950°W / 30.4431; -84.2950
DateNovember 20, 2014; 10 years ago (2014-11-20)
Attack type
School shooting, mass shooting
Weapons
Deaths1 (the perpetrator)
Injured3
PerpetratorMyron May
MotivePossible psychotic delusions

On November 20, 2014, a school shooting occurred at the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee, Florida. The gunman, 31-year-old Myron May, was shot and killed by responding police officers, while three people were injured by May, one of whom became paralyzed and sued the university for damages. Florida State experienced another shooting on April 17, 2025, which resulted in two deaths.

Shooting

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At approximately 12:25 am, May entered the Strozier Library of Florida State University with a .38-caliber handgun, where about 300 students were studying for exams. May opened fire and wounded three people.[2][3][4] May was carrying additional ammunition in his pockets. He left the library after he was unable to break through the security turnstiles, which only let students and employees pass through.[5][6] State and school resource police officers were able to find him standing on an access ramp outside the library near the entrance. They ordered May to drop the weapon, but he refused and fired one shot at the officers. Officers returned fire shortly after, striking May; he was pronounced dead at the scene.[2][3] Thirty gunshots were fired during the shooting, including shots fired by the officers. According to an autopsy report, May was shot 24 times.[1][7] The shooting lasted about five minutes, and May reloaded his gun at least once during the shooting.[6][8]

The pistol May used in the shooting, a Lorcin .380, was reported stolen after a burglary at a residence located in Panama City Beach, Florida. It is unknown on how May obtained access to this firearm. Two boxes of ammunition were found in the passenger seat of May's vehicle, and a .12 gauge pump-action shotgun and a black BB gun were found at the rear cargo area. During the shooting, May used his Samsung Galaxy S5 cellphone, which had a series of text messages between him and his friend in which they argued about May having schizophrenia.[1] The shooting resulted in a campus alert that urged the students to take shelter and stay away from all doors and windows. Florida State University faculty also announced that all classes would be cancelled for the remainder of the month.[9]

Victims

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Three people were injured in the shooting, two of whom were hospitalized at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, with one in critical condition. Nathan Scott, a library employee of the school who was shot in the leg, was discharged shortly after arriving.[4] Farhan Ronny Ahmed, a wounded student, became paralyzed after a bullet severed his spinal cord.[10][11] The third injured victim, student Elijah Velez, was not critically injured.[12]

Perpetrator

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Myron May was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1983 and moved to Florida as a teen. He graduated from Florida State University in 2005 and was awarded several scholarships while he was a student there.[13] May was living with his mother and was reportedly addicted to cocaine.[14] He worked as a prosecutor in the felony division of the third judicial district attorney's office.[15] He returned to the area near the university three weeks before the shooting after attending law school in Texas and New Mexico.[3][5] May did not have a criminal record, but police reported that he was suspected of using marijuana in 2002 and was a victim of a carjacking in 2003.[16] May had believed that the government was secretly watching him, and he had written his thoughts in his diary and through videos. In his diary, he described himself being in a "state of crisis" and expressed fears that he would be "targeted by the government".[5][17]

Before the shooting, he filed several police reports, one for suspicious circumstances and another for harassment. He told the police that he was almost certain that a hidden camera was located somewhere in a room of his residence. He also claimed that he constantly heard voices speaking through the walls and talking about what he was doing.[13] A month later, May's ex-girlfriend called police at her residence, explaining that he was showing symptoms of a "severe mental disorder" for which he was hospitalized several weeks prior. She said that May had shown up at her house rambling and holding a part of his car, claiming it was a camera and asking her to keep it for him.[15][4] She said that her 15-month relationship with him ended as his ADHD became worse and he started treating it with medication. May's mental health was rapidly worsening, leading to him quitting his job at his district attorney's office.[13] Before the shooting, he sent friends messages saying that he sent them packages and that they could "expect them on Friday". Police seized one of the packages, which contained videos and journals.[18][19]

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In 2017, a lawsuit was filed against Florida State University, accusing the university of being negligent in providing security for the students. The lawsuit claimed that the university should have had "armed and sworn officers" on campus. It also claimed that the shooting could have been prevented if employees had reported May's first failed attempt to enter the library on the day of the shooting.[20] In 2025, the university asked the lawsuit to be dismissed. In a statement, they said, "Despite the University's deepest sympathy for plaintiff and all of the students, employees and other members of FSU community who were exposed to the shooting, it respectfully denies that it is liable to a sum or manner for the action of a madman."[21]

In 2018, a lawsuit was filed against the university by library assistant Paige McPadden for mental trauma; she accused the university of not doing enough to warn her of the dangers of working here and not giving her counseling services offered to other students because she was a Black woman.[22] Another lawsuit was filed against the university in 2019, resulting in a $1 million settlement to injured victim Ronny Ahmed.[23][24]

Reactions

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Governor Rick Scott spoke at a rally in the Florida State University's campus, where he thanked the swift police response.[25] Chief Michael DeLeo described the shooting as an "isolated incident" with only one person involved.[26]

Florida State University President John Thrasher said in a statement, "The Florida State University community is extremely saddened by the shootings that took place early this morning at Strozier Library, in the very heart of campus, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of all those who have been affected."[27] Ronny Ahmed, the student who was paralyzed, said that he wished that there were stricter background checks for firearm purchases and that somebody should have stopped May before the attack.[28] He also said that the pain he experienced during the shooting never went away, and that he is living a paraplegic life.[29]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Waters, TaMaryn (January 9, 2015). "FSU's Strozier Library Shooter: A look inside Myron May's inner turmoil". Tallahassee Democrat.
  2. ^ a b Fish, Emily (November 20, 2014). "Myron May identified as the FL university shooter". CT Against Gun Violence.
  3. ^ a b c Southall, Ashley; Williams, Timothy (November 20, 2014). "Gunman at Florida State Spoke of Being Watched". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  4. ^ a b c Pearson, Michael (December 18, 2014). "FSU gunman sent 10 packages before shooting, postal inspectors say". CNN.
  5. ^ a b c Medina, Eduardo (April 17, 2025). "In 2014, Florida State University Reeled From Another Shooting". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  6. ^ a b Raby, John (April 17, 2025). "What to know about the shooting at Florida State University". WDIO ABC.
  7. ^ Cotterel, Bill (November 21, 2014). "Gunman shot dead after wounding three at Florida State University". Reuters.
  8. ^ Kostidakis, Perry (November 19, 2016). "Florida State's Strozier shooting, two years later". FS View News.
  9. ^ "Gunman killed, 3 injured in shooting at Florida State University". Los Angeles Daily News. August 28, 2017.
  10. ^ "Remembering Strozier Library shooting five years later". WTLX News. November 21, 2019.
  11. ^ Dunkelberger, Rosanne (April 18, 2025). "FSU shooting: Sadly, not the first time". Florida Politics.
  12. ^ "Florida State University was also scene of 2014 shooting that injured three". NBC News. April 17, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c Keneally, Meghan (November 20, 2014). "Behavior of Florida State University Shooter Had Alarmed Ex-GirlFriend". ABC News.
  14. ^ Langman, Peter (March 14, 2016). "Myron May: Descent into Delusions" (PDF). School Shooters info.
  15. ^ a b Gartner, Lisa (November 20, 2014). "FSU shooter's life unravels, ends in violent tragedy". Miami Herald.
  16. ^ "Police say FSU gunman Myron May was 'struggling psychologically'". Miami Herald. November 20, 2014.
  17. ^ Asebes, John (April 17, 2025). "Memories of 2014 shooting at FSU brought back to the surface over 10 years later". WJXT.
  18. ^ "Man who shot three people at Florida State University sent mystery packages, police say". The Guardian. November 21, 2014. ISSN 0261-3077.
  19. ^ Wagner, Meg (November 21, 2014). "Victims of Florida State library shooting identified; cops say Myron May sent video, journal to friends". NY Daily Times.
  20. ^ Montanaro, Julie (March 29, 2017). "Strozier Library shooting victim files suit against FSU". WCTV News.
  21. ^ Tirnery, Jim (April 25, 2025). "FSU asking for dismissal of Strozier Library shooting lawsuit". Orlando Weekly.
  22. ^ Etters, Karl (August 14, 2018). "FSU settles with library employee in Strozier shooting". Tallahassee Democrat.
  23. ^ "Florida State University Settles Lawsuit With Paralyzed Shooting Victim". NBC News. January 25, 2019.
  24. ^ "Florida State settles with paralyzed shooting victim for $1M". WTLX News. January 25, 2019.
  25. ^ Queally, James (November 20, 2014). "Florida State University gunman Myron May feared government targeting, police say". Los Angeles Times.
  26. ^ Moyer, Justin Wim; Murphy, Brian (November 20, 2014). "'Chaos' at Florida State University: Gunman wounds 3, killed in shootout with police". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286.
  27. ^ Mullen, Faith (January 20, 2014). "3 shot at Florida State University before gunman killed by police". CNN.
  28. ^ Mohrmann, Jodi (November 19, 2015). "Victim of FSU shooting moving forward". WJTX News.
  29. ^ McNeill, Claire (May 3, 2018). "Do you remember the student who was shot at FSU? He's pretty sure we've all moved on". Tampa Bay Times.
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