Fla. State shooter called well-liked but troubled - Philly.com

Brendan Farrington and Gary Fineout, Associated Press

Posted: Friday, November 21, 2014, 1:08 AM

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Authorities don't know why Myron May targeted his alma mater Thursday when he opened fire on students at Florida State University's library, but they do know he thought the government was watching him and out to get him.

Or, as Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo said, his sense of being was not normal.

"Mr. May had a written journal and videos where he expressed fears of being targeted and that he wanted to bring attention to this issue of targeting," DeLeo said. "Mr. May was in a state of crisis."

Police killed May, a 2005 graduate who later earned a law degree from Texas Tech University, early Thursday. Officers had responded to a 12:30 a.m. call about shots being fired at the library, where about 450 students were studying. When police arrived, May had wounded two students and an employee and reloaded a .380 semi-automatic pistol. He refused to put the gun down and they opened fire. More than 30 rounds were fired by May and the officers.

Police said May didn't get past the lobby, but the sound of gunfire set off screams among students, who scrambled for cover among the bookshelves and barricaded themselves in rooms.

One person was in critical condition at a local hospital. Another, library staffer Nathan Scott, was in good condition at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. A third person was treated and released.

Senior Jason Derfuss, 21, of Orlando, told the Tallahassee Democrat he heard gunfire as he left the library and saw a man fire at another person. Derfuss ran to his car and called 911. After he got home, Derfuss dumped the contents of his backpack on the floor. He noticed several books were damaged, and then his roommate found a slug in the bag: a bullet had gone through a book. "It was humbling to know that my life was in God's hands right there and he graciously spared me," Derfuss told the newspaper.

Friends called May sweet, smart, and understated. May, 31, returned to Florida about three weeks ago, looking to get a new start in life.

There were signs of problems before the shooting. Police in Las Cruces, N.M., said May was the subject of a harassment complaint last month after a former girlfriend called to report he came to her home uninvited and claimed police were bugging his house and car. Danielle Nixon told police May recently developed "a severe mental disorder." Police were still going through May's journal, videos, and social media posts.

Classes were to resume Friday.

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