By Carl — April 17, 2025
LAKE WALES, Fla. — Four students from Lake Wales High School and Coach Johnson, who were in Tallahassee today for a campus tour of Florida State University, are confirmed safe following an active shooter situation that unfolded on the FSU campus shortly after noon.
According to Jamie Ramos, the principal’s secretary at Lake Wales High School, Coach Johnson has personally communicated with the school, confirming that he and the students are unharmed and accounted for. Parents of the students were also contacted directly to reassure them of their children’s safety.
The Lake Wales group was visiting the university as part of a planned college tour — one that quickly took a terrifying turn as reports of gunfire near FSU’s Student Union triggered a campus-wide lockdown.
Authorities say at least four people have been hospitalized following the shooting, which was first reported around 12:01 p.m. Florida State University issued an emergency alert urging students and staff to seek immediate shelter, stay away from windows and doors, and await further instructions. Police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement responded quickly, and the situation remains active as of Thursday afternoon.
Witnesses told WCTV that a man with a handgun exited the Student Union building and fired 15 to 20 shots, causing chaos as students fled to nearby buildings — including a church across the street — to seek refuge.
Tallahassee Memorial Hospital confirmed it is treating four individuals in connection with the incident. As of this writing, the identities and conditions of those injured have not been released.
All FSU classes and events scheduled for Thursday have been canceled, and several Leon County schools were placed under lockout procedures as a precaution.
Though the situation in Tallahassee remains fluid, we are thankful Lake Wales students are safe.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
