PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — After Thursday's shooting at Florida State University, many of you called WPTV looking for answers as the active shooter threat played out.
WPTV spoke with a worried Boynton Beach mother whose daughter works on the Tallahassee campus and heard the gunshots.
WATCH BELOW: Local mother shares fears after FSU shooting
Mindy Ventimiglia told WPTV that she found herself dealing with every parent's worst nightmare when the shooting erupted at the school.
Her daughter, Billie Ventimiglia, works at FSU's Bellamy Building, situated directly across the street from the student union where the shooting occurred.
As the chaos unfolded, Billie Ventimiglia was in her office working when she suddenly heard what sounded like gunshots.
Alarmed, Billie instinctively looked out the window and was met with a terrifying sight: a sprinting crowd of students, their faces etched with fear and panic.
Without a moment's hesitation, Billie joined around 10 others who quickly barricaded the door, understanding that their safety depended on taking immediate action.
As the lockdown began, the atmosphere was charged with anxiety and the unknown.
In the midst of this heartbreaking episode, Billie sent a text to her mother, conveying a simple yet powerful message: "love you, love everyone."
This text was an emotional lifeline for Mindy, who felt utterly helpless being miles away from her daughter.
In response, Mindy poured her feelings into a message, expressing her love and urging Billie to stay away from the windows, highlighting the raw fear that consumed her.
The sense of dread deepened as Mindy reflected on her inability to shield her daughter from harm.
"It's horrific, and Tallahassee is not anywhere I could run to protect my child and to see if she is OK," Mindy said, expressing the heart-wrenching emotions that many parents in similar situations experience.
As the lockdown continued, so did the flow of messages.
Mindy learned that other parents were similarly reaching out to their children, desperate for reassurance and updates. These shared experiences of waiting and worrying only added to the collective sense of anxiety among families connected to the campus.
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Mindy vented her frustrations about the feeling of helplessness.
"None of us are doing well, none of us," Mindy said. "The anxiety becomes physical symptoms; it seeps into your bones."
Her words reflected the emotional toll such traumatic events take not only on those directly involved but also on their families left in the dark, waiting for news.
In that harrowing moment, all Mindy wanted was to board a plane to Tallahassee — a longing to be near her daughter and be by her side to provide the protection that felt so crucial.
As the situation developed, Mindy kept her phone close, anxious for any word from Billie.
In the end, Billie and the others were escorted to safety by a SWAT team, providing Mindy much-needed relief.
She mentioned, FSU is roughly six hours from her in Palm Beach County. A drive she may take, like many other terrified parents, following this traumatic event.
