Any time at least four people are shot in a single incident, it’s considered a mass shooting.
And the mass shooting tracker website said Thursday’s incident at Florida State was the 98th mass shooting in the U.S. this year.
That’s almost an average of one per day and includes three in Ohio.
Whitney Austin knows firsthand what it’s like to be a victim of gun violence.
“When I was under fire, I first and foremost thought 'how do I live? How do I get back to my family I love and adore?'” said Austin, co-founder and executive director of Whitney/Strong.
Austin was shot 12 times during the mass shooting in Cincinnati’s Fountain Square in 2018.
Since then, she has worked tirelessly with communities to reduce gun violence through what she calls common-ground solutions.
“We’re teaching them the importance of safe handling of firearms, secure storage of firearms, the warning signs of suicide,” Austin said.
One solution she’s pushing for is legislation that would give law enforcement permission to temporarily transfer firearms away from people who are experiencing mental crises.
“More often than not, mass shooters are suicidal, going through suicidal ideation," Austin said. "And what we know about that is there are warning signs."
In the case of the Florida State University shooting, authorities say a 20-year-old college student gained access to an unsecured firearm owned by his stepmother, who is a sheriff’s deputy. Austin said this is a powerful reminder that mental health challenges can affect anyone, regardless of their background.
“There’s really individual responsibility in all of this as a gun owner to say, 'I’m starting to see some of the warning signs in my loved one,' so right now may not be the best time for me to keep a gun in the house,” Austin said.
Austin said she stands with the victims, their families and the FSU community and remains more committed than ever to building a future where students can learn, live and thrive, free from the threat of gun violence.
Spectrum News 1 reached out to Ohio State to see if the incident at Florida State prompted the school to take any additional safety precautions.
A spokesman there said that all students and staff are required to watch a video on surviving an active aggressor.
He also said campus police train regularly so they’re prepared if a shooting takes place.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Whitney Austin as being from Ohio. This has been corrected. (April 19, 2025)
