A Parkland And FSU Mass Shooting Survivor: ‘This Is America’

As a survivor of the 2018 Parkland shooting and a current student at Florida State University, Stephanie Horowitz recalled experiencing her second mass shooting Thursday, telling CBS News, “This is America.”

“I never thought it would happen to me the first time, and here we are, and unfortunately, this is America for you,” Horowitz told CBS News on Friday.

Horowitz, an FSU student and on-campus bowling instructor, said she was in the campus’ bowling alley Thursday when her students looked out the window and saw people running.

Horowitz said when she saw belongings left behind and “laptops open” and “bags on the floor,” she knew what that meant.

“Unfortunately, due to my previous experience, I knew what that meant, and before I knew exactly what was going on, I just started to direct everybody into the backroom to safety until I got further information, but I had a feeling that it was an active shooter situation before I even heard,” Horowitz told CBS News.

A 20-year-old opened fire Thursday at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, leaving two people dead and six injured. Police said the shooter used his mother’s former service weapon in the shooting.

Horowitz, who was 15 years old when she lived through the Parkland shooting, said after that day, she had the mindset that any day could be a day of another mass shooting.

“I kind of woke up every morning thinking that it could be my last day. I was afraid for my life every step that I took,” she said.

She said she’s “come a long way” after that shooting, and that she had gotten to a place where she felt safe.

“And here we are yet again and that was taken away from me for a second time,” she said.

There have been 82 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, and Florida is ranked No. 21 in gun law strength, according to Everytown Research and Policy.