Wednesday marks the 10th anniversary of the shooting at the FSU Strozier Library

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Ten years ago, there was panic on the Florida State University campus when a man opened fire outside Strozier Library.

Former FSU President John Thrasher said everything that day felt like a bad dream. He remembers getting a call from his chief of staff around 12:30 a.m. telling him to turn on the news.

Thrasher said when he did it, he couldn’t believe what had happened. The former president was in New York at the time of the shooting and boarded a plane just hours later. He flew directly to Tallahassee to be with students and meet with law enforcement.

Thrasher said this tragic day shook the entire FSU community and it is a day that will never be forgotten, but the most important thing for him is to stay strong and united.

“I knew we had to show confidence, we had to show the kids that we were strong and that Florida State was going to get through this,” Thrasher said. “You notice how strong the university is. It’s not about one person, it’s about the students who come here and help make them and the faculty strong.”

Thrasher had only been president for ten days when the tragic shooting devastated the lives of thousands of students and faculty. He said he will always remember the FSU police’s quick response and bravery during the incident.

“It just shows how well prepared they were and thank God for that, I really mean it… I’ve seen these guys over the years and always appreciated their bravery and their performance that day,” Thrasher said.

The former president explained that after the incident, he and his staff made improvements to the university’s alarm system to ensure it was ready to respond in an emergency.

“There’s always ways to refine that and I think we’ve done that. “You need a good, transparent notification process,” Thrasher said.

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