TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) -- It's been one year since shots rang out on the campus of Florida State University.
Late on November 20, 2014, FSU alum Myron May went to the Strozier Library and opened fire, injuring three people. The gunman was killed by responding officers.
Investigators later discovered that May claimed to be a victim of "gang stalking." In a pre-recorded video, May said the shooting was a way to end his life as a "targeted individual."
That night, as the 911 calls came in, the Consolidated Dispatch Agency was working frantically to get information, helping to get officers on the scene in just minutes.
One dispatcher who was on duty that night shared her memories of that response.
Dozens of students were at FSU's Strozier Library late on November 20, 2014, but it wasn't a normal night of studying.
Just after midnight, Myron May opened fire.
The response was swift, and officers were on the scene in mere minutes.
Tarrie McGinnis was working the phone lines at the Consolidated Dispatch Agency when the calls came pouring in.
"A lot of people went into action. It was systematic, it was very calm and very consistent," she recalls.
McGinnis remembers the chaos she helped calm, as students and many of their parents were calling in at the same time.
"A young lady that I had on the line had 50 people with her in a hallway, so we were on the phone for quite a long time. I was able, through her, to help 50 other people besides herself," said McGinnis.
That's when training kicked in. Just days before the campus shooting, dispatchers and FSU Police worked together, preparing for a "worst case" scenario.
"You have to gather information, location of the suspect, is there a description, the layout of the building," said McGinnis. "They're looking for someone to support them and to keep them calm so they can make clear decisions."
One year later, McGinnis is proud of how she and her co-workers handled that night.
"I don't think there's anyone who comes to work without their heart and soul in the position," she said of her co-workers. "They're here to do a job and to perform at the highest level they can."
Helping us all to become FSU Strong.
"We have Rattlers, we have Seminoles, we have people that are on both ends of the spectrum, and everything in between. But on that day everyone was feeling as one part of this community," said Tallahassee City Manager Anita Favors Thompson.
On Friday, November 20, WTXL is airing a special retrospective about the one-year anniversary of the Strozier shooting. You can watch "FSU Strong" at 6 p.m. on WTXL ABC 27.
