CLAY COUNTY — What started off as a seemingly normal Thursday ended in devastation for some on April 17.

On that day, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner entered the Florida State University campus, pulled out a gun and fatally shot two people, while wounding six others.

When licensed professional counselor Delois Smith saw the news, it brought back terrifying memories. A reflective mirror into something she dealt with 15 years ago. 

Smith, then vice president for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), said her school made national news in 2010, when biology professor Amy Bishop walked into a staff meeting and killed three people, seriously wounding three others in an active-shooting incident. All six victims were professors.

Smith said it’s important to note that most universities follow the same emergency planning.

But amid all the training one could have, nothing will stop the panic if the harrowing scenario becomes a reality.

“It is surreal. It is like you are in another zone someplace. This cannot be happening here. Not now, not to us,” she said. 

As a counselor, Smith said she frequently works with patients dealing with the effects of traumatic experiences like the one at FSU. She said there is no linear approach to healing.

“One does not quote-unquote get over something like that,” she said. “It completely changes you.” 

Smith detailed the range of emotions those who were on the campus could be feeling, from disbelief and confusion to anger. She said these are all emotions that fall under the larger umbrella of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — a mental health condition occurring in one who has witnessed a stressful or terrifying event. 

“They are forever changed,” she said. “They will never be the same again.” 

Smith said it’s important to note this isn’t the first time for some faculty and administrators at FSU. In 2014, a 31-year-old graduate student opened fire in the school’s library, wounding three people.

Smith added that, similar to UAH, FSU may begin to see some students withdraw.

“The university itself has now, in their mind's eye, become something too hard for them to deal with. Too many memories.” 

Additionally, Smith said that the campus itself may also go through some changes, particularly where the incident took place.

When Bishop opened fire in a UAH campus meeting room, Smith said the space was completely repurposed. It may be the same for FSU — particularly the Student Union where the incident took place. 

Why does it happen, and can it be prevented?

Universities and K-12 schools throughout the country have felt the effects of active shooters and threats making their way onto campus.

In 2024, there were 83 school shooting incidents recorded in the U.S., Statista said.

Smith attests it to the current epidemic of loneliness.

“People have lost the ability for socializing and getting to know people and having healthy social outlets.” she said. “We have become very reclusive.” 

She said it’s likely for people to become radicalized as a result. 

While Ikner’s motive remains unclear, Smith said Bishop was enraged at being denied tenure.

“Very often you will find that they have been in some [ways] traumatized, or radicalized, or something didn’t work out for them,” she said. ”But they didn’t have anyone they were working with or have someone they could talk to or have healthy outlets. So, they have to do something with their pain and, unfortunately, sometimes they take it out on other people.” 

When it comes to fully eliminating the threat of college shootings, Smith said it’s not completely possible.

Most colleges are open communities, and it’s easy for people to come and go. 

“Since you cannot lock down the buildings or the campus, what you can do is make policy to [say] you're not allowed to have guns on campus,” she said. 

What can people do to cope with trauma?

Smith said to check out mental health resources available, including campus counseling centers or employee assistance programs.

She said getting together with a group to process what happened can also be cathartic.

“People tend to think nobody is thinking and feeling what they’re feeling. Well, they are, but you don’t know it. It’s very healing when you can get together.” 

Journaling is also helpful in writing down exactly what one is feeling. 

“Sometimes you cannot articulate it auditorily. The words won’t come out,” she said. “But they can come from your heart, down your arm, through the pen and on the page.”

Smith said taking time away from where you were may also be necessary to prevent triggers. At UAH, she said, at about mid-semester the school suspended its classes for two weeks. 

She added that six to nine months after the date, one's body will begin to fully process what happened. The emotions come out in full force. 

For the anniversary of a shooting, Smith said hosting a vigil to remember those lost and hurt can be beneficial. FSU hosted a Unity Vigil on April 18.

Amid the consequences of such tragedy, Smith said she has seen a positive uptick in young people seeking professional help, eliminating a stigma.

“Our young people have grown up in a country where, unfortunately, what happened at FSU is normal,” she said. “It’s terrible.” 

However, she emphasized that even with the increase, there is still a problem with adequate access — the average wait time to see a counselor being about 4 weeks. 

It’s a growing need, slowly but surely finding stamina.

“We have become so siloed, until we have lost the natural ability to be empathic, to be compassionate, to communicate. Talking to people. We’ve lost the skill of doing that,” she said. “But we can do something about it.”