‘A healing process’: FSU reopens student union building, reflects after mass shooting

Sitting outside of Florida State University's Student Union, FSU senior and Tampa native Megan McEnery didn't want her last memory of the building to be terrifying. 

FSU officials took the voices of students like McEnery into consideration when they decided to reopen the building April 28, nearly two weeks after a gunman killed two adults and shot five students. 

Hundreds of students and other members of the FSU community gathered at what is dubbed the "living room of campus" for the opening event, where they were greeted with tons of free food, free drinks, games and opportunities to write heartfelt messages.

"I want this to be my last memory of the union," 21-year-old McEnery, a political science major graduating May 2, told the Tallahassee Democrat. She was one of the individuals inside the building during the shooting before running to safety. 

It is unclear what operation hours will look like long term, a university spokesperson said. But the building will be open again April 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in a return to more normal operations.

"I think this is a really good way of starting slow and then taking it from there," she added. "It's definitely been hard to process what happened without being able to go into the building where it happened." 

Before heading inside, FSU officials and other attendees began with a moment of reflection on the steps of the building. 

"This is not a celebration," said FSU President Richard McCullough, who later led the way along with FSU Student Body President Carson Dale as they walked back into the building for the first time since the shooting. "This is a moment of respect – a time for us to reflect and think about everything that's happened."

More: 'Not an easy decision': FSU reopening student union after consulting with students

In an April 26 letter to the campus community, McCullough announced the decision to open the building from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. April 28 after the university consulted with students, including seniors in particular who were in favor of the opening. 

"Today, we're standing in a place on campus that means so much for our students, a place that the students helped build memory by memory," McCullough said. 

"We can't let hatred and an act of violence change the place that we have. It can change us, of course, but it doesn't define who we are. What defines who we are is how we respond." 

Among attendees who stood behind McCullough on the steps of the building were Florida State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, FSU Board of Trustees Chair Peter Collins, the board's Vice Chair Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz and FSU's Ambassador of Seminole Dining Eva Killings — known to many as the university's Love Ambassador. There was also a heightened presence of law enforcement near the Student Union and at the event.

Law enforcement has not specified exactly what transpired in the student union during the mass shooting, only saying there were multiple crime scenes inside and outside the building. A university spokesperson was unable to specify if shots were fired inside the building as that component remains part of an active investigation.

Structurally, there was little damage, though many students fled and left behind iPads, phones and backpacks, which have since been recovered.

"We're standing in a place that signifies both joy and pain," FSU Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jim Clark said during the opening event. "It signified the gravity of what we've lost and the strength of who we are. The union was created as a place for connection, laughter, learning and gathering. That hasn't changed." 

The two-hour timespan of being in and around the union center was a healing time for students like second-year biomedical science major Brandon Licata. 

"This is a very meaningful day for all of us here at FSU after such a tragedy that occurred not even two weeks ago," said Licata, 20. "It's a really beautiful experience, and it shows that the spirit of FSU can't be beaten down so easily." 

The event also had food trucks such as the Tally Mac Shack stationed outside the Student Union building for the campus community, which Licata thinks was an intentional move by the university. 

"It's a healing process," Licata said. "I get that some people might not feel as comfortable going inside right now, so they're accommodating those students' feelings, which I think is very important."

Tarah Jean is a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at  tjean@tallahassee.com . Follow her on X:  @tarahjean_ .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU reopens student union building for campus community after shooting