Barry Sproles was in his car, about to leave the Florida State University (FSU) campus in Tallahassee on April 17, when he saw what looked like something out of a movie. But he knew it was real.

Hundreds of students were running away from the prominent Florida campus. Then he saw law enforcement vehicles heading toward campus at breakneck speeds.

“I knew something serious was happening and I couldn’t leave,” he said.

He learned there was an active shooting incident occurring on campus. He did not yet know an FSU student had opened fire about 11:50 a.m. that day, killing two people and injuring six others.

Sproles, who has been director of FSU’s Baptist Collegiate Ministries since 2018, quickly called the BCM student president and told her to barricade herself and any other students in a back room at the center, “the most secure room we have,” as he made his way back to the location less than a “tenth of a mile” from where the shooting took place.

With six students secure in a back room, Sproles stepped out to assess the situation. Standing outside the room where the students were barricaded, Sproles said, “In the unlikely event that something would happen, I wanted to be between them and whatever” happened.

“Quite truthfully, it was pandemonium on campus,” he said. Rumors were still flying at the time and no one was sure how many shooters there were or what else might be happening. With the FSU Police Department located next door, Sproles watched as more law enforcement officials arrived, some in tactical gear walking about with guns in their hands.

“I was very thankful to see all the law enforcement respond so quickly. It was impressive. It was a blessing to have them there and to know they were working so hard to protect our students.”

The massive presence of law enforcement officers eased some of Sproles’ concerns but also underscored the severity of what was happening on campus.

“This was really serious. I knew I needed to get these students out of this building and far away from campus,” he said. “That was really all I could think about: ‘How do we protect these students?’”

As he saw officers head inside, Sproles felt like it was the time to escort the students safely off campus. He instructed the students to exit the front door and head right, running as fast as they could to a nearby Publix in a shopping center, less than a mile away near off-campus housing. He told them, “I’m right here with you. I’m right behind you.”

“It was fast moments,” he said. “You do the best you can; I just wanted to keep my students safe. That was my primary objective. I need to get them home tonight, get them off campus.”

Everyone made it safely to the nearby Publix, and he bought some food and water for the students.

The students in the group, he said, “were shaken as you can imagine. They wanted to get as far away as they could from the university.”

Being the ‘hands and feet of Christ’

About the same time Sproles discovered that one of the students in the group had his truck in a nearby parking garage, he received a text message from Fayez Ayoub, lead pastor at North Florida Baptist Church.

Ayoub asked how he could help, and Sproles asked if the students could take refuge at the church; Ayoub quickly agreed. Students scrambled into the truck, and once they arrived at North Florida Baptist Church, the pastor and Sproles “prayed with the students, ministered to them.” The church “became a rallying point for some of our students,” he said.

After the shooter had been apprehended and the campus was secure, Sproles and several students returned to the BCM center. Pastors from the area joined them there and began to minister to the students. Sproles posted a message on social media, inviting any students to stop by the center if they needed prayer or someone to talk to.

“We had some students coming in who just wanted to be with people,” he said. “They needed to talk and process what had happened and to pray. The needs were different. They were very much aware of their need for each other and the value of life. It was a good moment for our students to see the body of Christ desiring to serve them and love them at that moment. It’s a big deal,” Sproles said.

“It was an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ in a very simple but, I think, important way.”

Sensed ‘God’s presence’

As news got out about the event, Sproles said he had calls and texts from area pastors and others who serve with the Florida Baptist Convention, checking on him, praying over him, offering encouragement and asking how they could help serve.

“A unique part of what we do as Florida Baptists is our network of churches and how we band together, especially in difficult moments,” he said.

During the chaos of the unfolding tragedy, Sproles said he didn’t take time to look at his phone. Later, when he did see the messages, he was encouraged by the prayers and support.

“It was very much felt and so needed at the time. I felt God’s presence protecting us and our students,” Sproles said.

Moving forward, Sproles said he, along with area pastors and other church leaders, will gather to pray and discuss how they can minister to students, “how we can make ourselves available to these students.”

‘God intervened’

Reflecting on the life and death moments of April 17, Sproles shared that he had planned to be on campus having lunch with a student in the same area and around the same time of the shooting incident.

“I walk there several times a week to eat lunch,” he said. “But God intervened on this day. The student said he had to go study for a test. He never says no to a free lunch. It was God protecting us, and I am so thankful for God’s protection.”

In the hours after the shooting, Sproles and the student came face to face. “We had a moment,” Sproles said. “We were both in awe of God’s provision for us.”

This article was published by Florida Baptist Convention and has been reprinted with permission.

David Moore has been writing and editing for newspapers and magazines in Florida for more than 20 years.