TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A father and son from Parrish are together again after Thursday’s horrific mass shooting at Florida State University.
Christopher Malave is a junior at FSU. His father, Steve, drove hundreds of miles to be with his son Thursday night in the shooting’s aftermath.
“That’s my boy,” Steve said. “You know, I gave him probably the biggest hug I could ever recall giving him, and he held on tight.”
Christopher narrowly avoided the mass shooting. He was inside FSU’s Student Union when the shooting started.
“Never did I think I would be caught in something like this—in the place I’ve called home for the past three years,” he said.
Christopher said he rushed outside trying to reach his car, but the gunfire didn’t stop.
“It was horrific,” he said. “I just wanted to get out of there. I knew I didn’t want to be anywhere near the Student Union.”
His mother was on the phone and heard some of the gunfire as Christopher escaped. In the hurry, he tripped and sprained his ankle.
“All things considered, physically, I’m doing okay. Mentally, though, I’m still trying to process everything,” he said.
Christopher did escape. Others, of course, weren’t so lucky.
“You just think about how precious life is,” Steve said.
Even though he can hug his son, he’s thinking about those who can’t because of the horrific act.
“It’s just sad to have to experience this yet again in our country,” Steve said.
