It was a warm day on Florida State University's campus, and Ana Martins was ready to sunbathe in the grass on the campus green.
With her tote bag, a towel and a water bottle, the freshman finance student sat down to enjoy the sun while FaceTiming her mother. They were chatting about Holy Thursday and what time she was going to go to Mass.
But then she heard screaming.
"I saw a lot of people running, and I was a little confused," Martins recalled. "I thought maybe there was an activity going on or people were playing around until I heard people screaming 'shooting,' 'guns,' and 'active shooter.'"
She fled barefoot, leaving most of her belongings in the grass.
"My mom was freaking out, hyperventilating on the phone," she said. "I just wanted to get out of there because it was such a scary scene, just seeing everyone running and screaming. It was terrifying."
What she did not know was that she was one of many on campus seeking shelter after a gunman opened fire, killing two people and injuring multiple others. The reports of the active shooter came around noon on Thursday, and authorities said that the two who died were not students. Their identities are currently unknown.
"It's so sad that we're in a place where we're supposed to feel safe on campus getting an education. It's such an exciting part of our lives — college — and it's just so sad that we have to worry about things like this happening."Ana Martins
Law enforcement identified the alleged shooter as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, who is believed to be a student and is the son of a local sheriff's deputy.
"I was just running, like literally running for my life," Martins said. "I had no idea what was going on. I just hear active shooter and shooting and guns, and growing up in America, we all know that that's a very possible situation that you just have to be unfortunately ready for."
Martins then came across other people who said that they were going to a nearby church. So, she found refuge there. There were around a dozen people who were mostly students, she said.
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They barricaded themselves in a storage room and remained there for hours.
Martins said they shared phones with each other so everyone could contact their loved ones. Her mother jumped in a car from Central Florida to come to campus.
As she went back to where she had fled from, she knelt down to pick up the items left behind.
And she reflected on what had happened.
"It's so sad that we're in a place where we're supposed to feel safe on campus getting an education. It's such an exciting part of our lives — college — and it's just so sad that we have to worry about things like this happening," Martins said.
Ana Martins, a freshman FSU finance student, had just started sunbathing on Landis Green when she saw people running and shouting about a shooting. She fled barefoot, leaving her belongings behind, and hid in the storage room of a nearby church. pic.twitter.com/Dx3rfT14HM
— Douglas Soule (@DouglasSoule) April 17, 2025
The student hopes that this is a wake-up call for politicians and is asking for action, like more regulations and safety protocols in place, as America has a history of mass shootings.
"It's so unfortunate that it's just still something that keeps happening and hasn't stopped," Martins said.
Martins said that she will be praying for all those affected by the tragedy and is urging others to do so as well.
"I just ask for people to pray for the families involved and for the souls of those that are unfortunately no longer here with us," she said.
