International

FSU shooting kills two, leaves six injured in Florida

Two people were killed and six others were injured in a shooting that took place on Thursday, April 17, around noon, on the campus of Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee. One of the injured victims is in critical condition, as reported by Reuters.

The attacker is a 20-year-old FSU student and the son of a deputy sheriff from Leon County. He was shot by responding officers and is currently hospitalized under police custody. According to the police, three firearms were recovered from the scene: one on the attacker, another in his car, and a third inside the student association building.

BBC reports that one of the firearms was the service weapon of Jessica Aichner, the attacker's mother. University officials announced that the two deceased individuals were not students, though their identities have not been disclosed. Classes were suspended through at least Friday, and all scheduled sporting events for the weekend were canceled.

Authorities have not yet identified a motive for the attack.

Trump on the right to bear arms

The U.S. President was briefed on the incident before his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the White House. A journalist asked Donald Trump if he would consider modifying the country's gun laws in response to the incident, according to DW.

The U.S. leader responded that he has always been and continues to be "a strong supporter" of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to bear arms. Trump also described the Florida shooting as "a disgrace, a tragic event." He added that he would comment further on the matter at a later time.

After returning to the White House in January, Trump signed an order to protect the Second Amendment. Previously, in 2022, after the school shooting in Texas that claimed the lives of 19 children, he opposed tightening gun control laws. Meanwhile, massive protests against the unrestricted sale of firearms have taken place across the U.S.

The Jacksonville shooting

In August 2023, following a shooting at a shopping mall in Jacksonville, Florida, four people lost their lives. The shooter opened fire from inside the shopping mall before barricading himself. Special forces who arrived on the scene killed him. It was reported that the attack was racially motivated, with all the victims being African American.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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