NEA criticizes politicians in wake of Florida State University shooting

A recent active shooter incident at Florida State University has resulted in the deaths of two individuals, with five others injured. This tragedy has once again raised the issue of gun violence affecting educational institutions.

Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association (NEA), expressed her support for the affected community. In her statement, she said, “We stand with the Florida State University community. To every person feeling the weight of this moment: you are not alone. A campus, any campus across America, should be a place of safety, learning, and belonging—not violence and fear."

Reflecting on the repeated occurrences of such violence, Pringle continued, "Florida students deserve better. Our communities across the country deserve better. This is the third shooting in three days affecting our students—first Dallas and San Antonio, now Tallahassee. Shame on politicians for protecting the gun lobby instead of students, and for failing to address the epidemic of gun violence sweeping across this country. We are past time for our elected leaders to take real action to end this senseless gun violence.”

The NEA, representing a broad spectrum of educational professionals, has resources dedicated to gun violence prevention and response.

Further information about the NEA can be found on its website, www.nea.org, and updates are regularly shared on the association’s Bluesky profiles.