The state of Florida has become a major concealed carry state. Correspondingly, it has become a hotspot for mass shootings. Reflecting on the extensive history of gun violence in the state, Southwest Florida has recently become yet another site of these threats.

Between August and September 2023, southwest Florida alone has been the site of two shootings. On August 16th, a shooting took place at Gulf Coast Town Center. This resulted in putting Florida Gulf Coast University on lockdown. FGCU was also on high alert at the end of the 2022-2023 school year as they received a shooting threat. On September 4th, FGCU was under threat again as a student housing unit, The Reef in Estero, was the target of another shooting. 

The term “shooting” is somewhat ambiguous with the incident, as there is still uncertainty regarding the events and how the situation unfolded. All that is known is that there was a fatality following a gunshot.

While little detail was released regarding the incident, police have confirmed that those involved were not students. The situation has been labeled as an ‘isolated incident’ and has been called an ‘active death investigation.’ The school is not expected to remain under threat.