Tallahassee, Apr 17 (AP) Multiple victims were reported in a shooting Thursday at Florida State University and a suspect was taken into police custody, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

The extent of the victims’ injuries was not immediately known and there were no additional details about the person in custody, according to the person was not authorised to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

At least six people were being treated, including one person who was in critical condition, a spokesperson for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said. The other patients were in serious condition, the spokesperson said.

Authorities had not yet released details about the suspect or how the shooting unfolded.

Ambulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus that sits just west of Florida’s state capital after the university issued an active shooter alert midday Thursday, saying police were responding near the student union. Hundreds of students streamed away from the area.

Ryan Cedergren, a 21-year-old communications student, said he and about 30 others hid in the bowling alley in the union’s lower level after seeing students running from a nearby bar.

“In that moment, it was survival,” he said.

After about 15 minutes, university police escorted the students out of the building and he saw a person getting emergency treatment on the lawn, he said.

Chris Pento told WCTV in Tallahassee that he and his twins were getting lunch at the student union during a tour of the campus when they heard gunshots.

“It was surreal. And people just started running,” he told the TV station.

They crammed into a service elevator after first encountering locked doors at the end of a hallway. “That was probably the scariest point because we didn’t know. It could get worse, right?” he said. “The doors opened and two officers were there, guns drawn.” President Donald Trump said from the Oval Office that he had been fully briefed on the shooting. “It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place,” he said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote on X: “Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding.” After receiving warnings of an active shooter, students and faculty across the campus were locked down in classrooms and sheltered in offices and dorm rooms.

“I’m in shock, you know, it’s so hard to believe,” said Kai McGalla, a sophomore who spoke by phone while locked down at a campus testing center. “The first thing you think of is just, This can’t be true,’ right?” Junior Joshua Sirmans, 20, was in the main library when alarms began going off. Law enforcement officers escorted him and other students from the library with their hands over their heads, he said.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post that the Justice Department was in touch with FBI agents who were on the scene.

Florida State University is one of Florida’s 12 public universities, with its main campus in Tallahassee. About 44,000 students are enrolled in the university, per the school’s 2024 fact sheet.

In 2014, the main library was the site of a shooting that wounded three people. Officers shot and killed the gunman, 31-year-old Myron May.

The university cancelled all classes and events for Thursday. It also cancelled home athletic events through Sunday. (AP) GSP