TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Following last month’s tragic shooting at Florida State University (FSU), which left two people dead and six injured, students are raising their voices for immediate campus safety enhancements. At the heart of their demands is the call to install manual classroom doors locks so classrooms can be locked from the inside. They argue that this feature could save lives in active shooter situations.
During the April 17 attack, students across campus scrambled to barricade themselves inside classrooms. However, panic spread when they discovered that many doors could not be locked manually from the inside, leaving them vulnerable.
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This prompted FSU students Meghan Bannister and Sarah Walker to take action. They launched a petition on Change.org, demanding that FSU immediately install manual locks on all classroom doors, emphasizing the necessity of stronger safety measures.
The petition states, “It is absolutely necessary that all classroom doors be equipped with functional locks. Students in HCB, like many across campus, feared for their lives – and the absence of locks only amplified that fear. No one should have to be in a classroom feeling unprotected during what was the most terrifying moment of our lives. This is a basic safety measure that can no longer be overlooked.”
The movement has gained significant traction, drawing nearly 32,000 signatures as of Thursday, as well as wide support from individuals both within and beyond the FSU community.
FSU Administrators Respond to Classroom Door Lock Petition
Responding to the growing concerns, FSU’s Office of University Communications said the school is continually reviewing and assessing its security protocols, including evaluating classroom door locks.
However, Florida International University Police Chief Alexander Casas highlighted the complex nature of implementing manual locks across open-access college campuses. According to Casas, while the concept has merit, it introduces complications not faced by more restricted environments like K-12 schools.
“Locking doors should be one layer in what is a multi-layered response to campus safety,” Casas told Local 10 News. “That by itself isn’t always a solution because having the ability to lock a door from the inside in a publicly accessible location could create other safety issues.”
Colleges Try to Balance Security with Accessibility
The debate underscores a critical challenge for universities across the country. While manual classroom door locks could provide immediate protection during an active shooter event, they also raise concerns about creating unintended risks, such as students being locked out of safe zones or locks being misused in other scenarios.
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University administrators and campus police must weigh the urgent calls for immediate action with the need for a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to campus safety.
For students like Bannister and Walker, however, the message is clear: “When lives are at stake, basic safety measures like manual locks should take precedence,” Bannister said in a recent interview with local media.
