Hello, friends. I think most of you have heard some details of what happened at Florida State University today. It's been a rather long and busy day for me, so I'm not going to tell you everything that happened or give you every little detail, but I wanted to give you the basic rundown so you know what you can pray for.
At about 12:30 AM, a gunman opened fire at Strozier Library. The students inside the library were absolutely terrified, as they had no idea what was going on. They were running, screaming, hiding behind bookshelves or desks, trying desperately to either escape or barricade themselves in somewhere. The gunman shot and injured three people, but by the grace of God, law enforcement arrived on the scene within minutes. They gunned the man down. Had they not arrived when they did, the situation would have been much worse. The library was on lockdown as the police cleared floors one by one; some students were not able to leave until 5 AM.
I suspected something was going on when I heard the emergency alert system go off, but I couldn't understand what was said, so my first thought was that there was severe weather headed our way. When I checked Facebook, I soon discovered that I was wrong. There were wild rumors flying around -- the worst of which being that there was a second shooter -- so there was panic and confusion everywhere. I stayed up until about 2:30 AM, when it was announced that the shooter had been killed and that he had been working alone. Then I went to bed, knowing that today would be a long day and I would need rest to get through it.
Pastor Jay and I spent our morning contacting every student we know. We checked in with each one, making sure that they were safe and offering our help -- whether it be prayer or a listening ear. We attended an impromptu prayer vigil on Landis Green, in front of the library. We spent time planning our own prayer service for this evening. I had a coffee date planned for this afternoon, so Corey and I went to Atomic Coffee and we both processed through what had happened.
We held our prayer service at University Lutheran at 6:30. We had about 12 people. It was simple but meaningful. We lit candles and prayed for our campus. Afterwards, some students and I stood together and talked about where we were and what we saw or heard or did. I'm hoping to share some of my students' stories at some point, but that will come another time. The important thing is that all of my students are safe and well.
After the service at University Lutheran, Pastor Jay and I headed over to Moore Auditorium in the Student Union, where an ecumenical prayer service was being held. We stood along the walls while students filled the seats; they were told that we would be willing to pray with them if they needed it. I think some students were a little intimidated, because there were media crews there with cameras, but after a few minutes there was prayer happening all over. I prayed with several students, but most significant for me was the first student I went up to. I asked, "Can I pray for you?" Instead, she prayed for me.
After about half an hour of prayer time, we had a message based on Romans 5:3-5, which reads, "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." We sang three songs, including "Desert Song" and "In Christ Alone." After the event broke up, Pastor Jay and I walked back to church, discussing how abnormal of a day this has been.
I will give more details in another blog probably this weekend, but for now, here's what you need to know: I am perfectly safe. The threat is over. We need prayers for calm, peace, and comfort for our students, and guidance and discernment for all of the campus ministers as we minister through this difficult time. I have received so much support today from people all over the country, from Florida to California and many places in between. I thank all of you so much and I ask for your continued prayers as Florida State works through this crisis.
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