TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Two Florida State University students have started an online petition calling for the school to install locks on all classroom doors in the wake of a deadly shooting on campus last week.
According to the two students, not all rooms at the school have locks currently.
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“Students in HCB, like many across campus, feared for their lives — and the absence of locks only amplified that fear. No one should have to be in a classroom feeling unprotected during what was the most terrifying moment of our lives. This is a basic safety measure that can no longer be overlooked," the petition said.
As of Monday morning, the petition on Change.org had nearly 30,000 signatures.
The two students who started the petition told WPTV they realized the issue after students had to barricade and hold doors closed while a shooter opened fire on the campus last week.
“I yelled, ‘Lock the doors, start stacking the chairs,’” Jupiter native Sarah Walker told WPTV. “That’s when someone yelled, ‘There are no locks.’ That definitely amplified the fear. You could just feel it in the room, the energy shift, people already not feeling safe. That’s when people physically started shaking.”
News4JAX reached out to the school for a statement on the petition, but FSU did not immediately respond.
The school did issue a statement to WPTV that read, in part: “Florida State University is continually reviewing and assessing our security protocols to ensure the safety of everyone on campus. Several layers of security are in place, including a robust police department that responded accordingly last Thursday.”
Investigators said an FSU student opened fire on campus just before noon on Thursday, leaving two people dead and six others injured.
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said Monday morning that three shooting victims have been discharged from the hospital, and two more were expected to be released on Monday. The remaining sixth patient was in good condition.
Classes resumed on Monday, but students and instructors had the option of holding classes remotely or in person, depending on the class.
The school has waived all mandatory attendance policies that could affect grades, so students won’t be punished if they choose not to go to class in person, FSU President Richard McCullough said in a letter to students and faculty.