Florida A&M University (FAMU) held a campus safety town hall on Thursday, April 24, bringing together students, faculty, and administration in response to heightened concerns following the recent active shooter incident at Florida State University (FSU). The forum, hosted in partnership with the FAMU Student Government Association (SGA), was an opportunity for students to share their voice and for university leaders to outline next steps.

“Today’s town hall serves a vital purpose to give our students a platform to share their thoughts, their voices, and their concerns. We recognize that healing begins with being heard, and that safety true safety requires transparency, accountability, and collaboration. This forum is about ensuring your voices lead the way in shaping the kind of environment we all deserve,” SGA President Loryn May said in her opening remarks.

Key Leadership Responses

Interim President Timothy Beard, Ph.D., extended condolences to FAMU’s neighbors and colleagues at Florida State. He then acknowledged student feedback about communication gaps during the emergency. “There was a quiet time between alerts, and that is an area we are committed to improving,” he said, promising more frequent updates during future emergencies.

Beard also said the town hall was to clarify the university’s process in emergency situations. He encouraged students and employees to sign up for the campus mass notification alert system (FAMU ALERT) so they could receive information as quickly as possible. 

“In closing, I want the family to know that we weren’t just lucky, we were prepared. Every decision we make is guided by our commitment to, number one, protect our students, our most prized resource,” he said.

Chief of Police Audrey Alexander gave a detailed timeline of FAMU’s response, emphasizing that the campus was never under immediate threat. She clarified that FAMU Police secured the university’s borders within minutes of receiving alerts from FSU and Tallahassee Police.

“We hear your concerns; we take you very seriously,” Alexander said, noting that while some information had to remain confidential during FSU’s active investigation, transparency and collaboration were priorities.

She explained that from the time of FSU’s initial alert at 12:02 p.m., her team sprang into action to verify the active shooter information and deploy all officers to assess the FAMU campus to ensure an accurate message was distributed at 12:19 p.m. During that time, she was able to confirm the suspect was in custody although the investigation was ongoing.

“I want to impress upon you all that we are fully committed to providing safety and security for this university,” Alexander said.

Emergency Management Vice President Ashley Davis highlighted the university’s immediate actions, including activating the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and deploying staff to FSU. Once the shooter was neutralized, his emergency team supported FSU's EOC and Family Assistance Center at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center to assist the victims.

“We are one team, one fight,” Davis said, committing to enhanced training and a whole community response moving forward.

As a result of that commitment, FAMU’s Police Department is advancing measures to further enhance communication and preparedness to address an active shooter scenario, including:

• The FAMU Police Department will host weekly active assailant training sessions during the summer, starting May 7.
• There will be increased patrols and campus-wide security assessments.
• We are strengthening campus safety through ongoing investments in safety infrastructure enhancements.
• The frequency of campus alerts will be increased during emergencies, especially via social media.
• Enhance our emergency mass notification capabilities through FAMU ALERT, powered by Everbridge, to ensure more robust and efficient communication during critical incidents.
• Expanded mental health support through counseling services and the Employee Assistance Program.

Provost Allyson Watson, Ph.D. assured students that flexibility and compassion would guide academic responses. “No student should be penalized for prioritizing their safety, especially during times of crises," she said, encouraging students needing accommodations to contact the Center for Disability Access and Resources (CeDAR).

“I want to just remind our students, faculty and staff that your voices matter, and we're committed to moving forward with purpose and pride,” she said.

Chief Communications Officer Alonda Thomas, Ph.D., who holds degrees from FAMU and FSU said the incident touched close to home for her. “I’ve worked at campuses that have been the site of gun violence and bomb threats, so I understand the importance of moving quickly to make decisions with limited information.”

Thomas explained that FAMU alerts are distributed by the FAMU Police Department in real time to cut down on distribution lag time. Immediately following, the same message is posted on social media and via email as a second layer of awareness to reach as many stakeholders as possible. During the April 17 incident, the university’s social media comments were temporarily disabled, and Thomas apologized to those who felt their voices were muted.    

"It was never our intention to silence you,” she said, pledging that going forward, comments would remain open unless misinformation is being spread that compromises the university’s safety efforts.

Before the town hall concluded, the panel participated in a Question & Answer session, addressing previously submitted questions that covered topics such as additional resources provided to the FAMU Police Department to the campus firearm policies. 

Calls for Continued Collaboration

Closing the town hall, Chief Operating Officer Donald Palm, Ph.D. reinforced the message: “If you see something, say something.” He, alongside the other leaders, stressed that safety at FAMU is a collective responsibility.

“I just want everybody to know that we heard you. We understand that we have some opportunities for improvement, and at the end of the day we are here to protect you, and also make sure that you get the best academic experience as well as education to go out in the world and make a difference,” Palm said. “AI want to thank you all for this opportunity to talk with you. But let's not make this the last time that we engage with regards to how we all can improve.”

Students can stay informed by signing up for FAMU Alerts at famu.edu/alerts.

Media Contact:

Alonda Thomas, Ph.D. 
Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
alonda.thomas@famu.edu

Back to Stories