© 2026 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

FGCU President Reacts to Parkland Shooting

FGCU University Marketing and Communications
/
Flickr
The entrance to Florida Gulf Coast University

Wednesday’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County has provoked students to question the security measures in their schools and college campuses.

On Thursday, Florida Gulf Coast University President Mike Martin addressed those concerns, assuring the university is prepared for any incidents that may occur.

“We train people across campus, and we try to work with groups on campus to ensure safety," Martin said. "So, we just had a session on threat response and making everyone aware and giving them tips and insight as to how to best respond if they sense something is up.”

Martin also said there was a heightened sense of awareness from faculty, staff and the university police department.

“I just met today with our counseling staff to talk about their awareness of people on campus who may have problems that need to be addressed before they turn into bigger problems," Martin said. "And, so, we’ve got a very good counseling staff and CAPS, led by Dr. (Jon) Brunner, and I think they are very much attuned to paying attention to what they’re hearing from students individually and, if necessary, are prepared to participate in interventions if that comes to it.”

University Police Chief Steven Moore sent out a campus-wide email Thursday containing information on the university’s safety systems, including how to register for the university’s text message alerts and links to safety videos.

Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • Opera Naples has announced the contestants and jury members who have been selected for the 2026 Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition. Out of 430 singers from 19 different countries who applied to compete, 20 contestants were selected.
  • While Sami Doherty choregraphs to the strengths of her cast, she generally finds that young performers are capable of much more than they realize.
  • The Loggerhead Shrike is found in Florida year-round, but reaches its peak abundance in mid-winter with the arrival of more-northern migrant birds.Shrikes feed extensively on insects, small mammals, birds, reptiles and other prey that they capture on or near the ground. As snow begins to cover the ground to the north, shrikes head south – joining the human “snowbirds” and our resident non-migratory population of shrikes.Little is known of interactions between the migrant and the resident shrike populations – providing a difficult, probably long-term, research opportunity. Both resident and migrant shrikes occupy open habitats both in cities and in the country-side.Roadsides with close-cropped vegetation and bordering fences are favored sites because of the presence of road-killed or injured animals and the ease of seeing animals crossing the road.Their flight in pursuit of prey is often within 3-4 feet of the ground. This, of course also makes shrikes vulnerable to getting hit on the road. Thus far Loggerhead Shrikes remain across their continent-wide range, but they also remain very vulnerable.