Students

Florida State Library Shooting Victim 'Ronny' Ahmed Paralyzed From Waist Down

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Farhan "Ronny" Ahmed, the Florida State University (FSU) student left in critical condition from the library shooting last week, has been left paralyzed from the waist down.

According to the Associated Press, the hospital that treated Ahmed upgraded the 21-year-old biomedical engineering student from "critical" to "serious" on Monday.

Myron May, a 31-year-old FSU alumnus, entered the library Thursday, Nov. 20 and shot and injured three students. One other student was taken to the hospital and has since been released. The third victim was treated on the scene for a minor bullet grazing.

"Despite his injuries, he's alive and we're so grateful that he's here with us," Ahmed's sister Farhana said in a short news conference Monday at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

May encountered security barriers in front of the Strozier Library, where an estimated 400 students were studying at the time of the incident, the AP reported. FSU police responded in less than two minutes and killed May in a shootout.

FSU confirmed Ahmed's condition on their official website Tuesday, announcing a YouCaring.com fund raising campaign to benefit Ahmed. The campaign has raised more than $119,000 of a $200,000 goal with 67 days left. FSU also said that donors may mail a check to help with the student's expenses.

"Supporters are raising funds for the medical and educational expenses of Farhan 'Ronny' Ahmed, a victim in the Nov. 20 shooting at Florida State University's Strozier Library," the school wrote.

The library has since reopened and classes have resumed, but Ahmed may have to have his graduation delayed. That is something FSU President John Thrasher is trying to prevent, telling the AP the school is "100 percent committed to ensuring" the student graduates on time.

It is not clear what led May to open fire at the FSU library, but police have learned that he believed he was being watched and followed as a government target. He also had reported to police in New Mexico that he saw cameras and heard voiced commenting on his actions as he made them.

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