Jacob Ogles
Less than 24 hours after a shooting that killed two and injured several others, U.S. Rep. Randy Fine said a lack of guns on campus may have contributed to the attack’s severity.
The Palm Bay Republican took to social media to criticize former colleagues in the Florida Senate, who rejected a campus carry bill weeks before the shooting where two died and six others were injured.
“There is no magic force field that keeps guns from coming onto our college campuses,” Fine posted on Facebook. “Less than one month ago, in my last bill presentation as a Florida Senator, I attempted to give adults the same right to protect themselves on campus as they have off.”
That presentation was to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, which made the rare move of killing a bill at the committee level after leadership allowed it to appear on the agenda. Fine presented the legislation (SB 814) as a Florida Senator days before his election to Congress in a Special Election.
“For the first and only time in 8.5 years in the Legislature, I failed,” Fine posted. “By a vote of 3-4, with two absent, the committee voted to keep universities ‘gun-free zones.’ An offensive name given what happened yesterday. The no vote included all three Democrats plus one so-called Republican.”
Sen. Ileana Garcia, a Miami Republican, cast the lone GOP vote against the bill and said she stands by the decision. In a post on X where she tagged President Donald Trump she criticized Fine’s bill, notably before he made his post on Facebook.
“I have zero regret. Proud to have voted against your moronic campus carry bill, that didn’t have a House companion,” Garcia wrote. “This decision wasn’t about partisan politics; it was rooted in common sense.”
Her post appeared to be prompted by a Breitbart article criticizing her vote.
Garcia said bringing the issue of campus carry into the tragedy at FSU was misguided. Authorities have taken Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old political science major, into custody in connection with the shooting. The Leon County Sheriff’s Office said a gun belonging to his mother, Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Ikner, was found on campus.
Two were killed in the shooting and six others besides Ikner were injured, five of whom were shot. The sixth was hurt fleeing the attack.
“The incident at FSU was tragic, but the real issue lies not with the firearm itself, but with the factors that led to it,” Garcia posted. “The individual involved was the child of a deputy sheriff and had knowledge of weapon handling, yet chose to act recklessly. As more information comes to light, the facts will reveal the truth. Both the campus security and Tallahassee police performed admirably in response to the situation.”
Fine disagreed and suggested that armed civilians may have stopped the shooting sooner.
“I am incredibly grateful to the law enforcement who ran into the gunfire yesterday to subdue the gunman,” Fine posted. “But in the time that took, this murderer was able to shoot seven people, two of whom have died. Today, I wonder if one of those seven had been able to defend themselves, the outcome would have been different. In any event, I will continue praying for all.”
Garcia said the commentary proved Fine is a poor replacement for former U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, whose seat Fine now holds. She also said Fine likely felt angry that a Hispanic Republican sank his bill.
“Randy Fine is feckless and racist. Put that on the record!” Garcia posted. “Time will tell.”
But she said in her post that it was unlikely more guns would have resulted in fewer people being shot.
“Your suggestion that students should defend themselves by carrying firearms on campus, along with the idea that a bill lacking a House companion would have made any real difference, is misguided,” she posted.
Regardless, the legislation, even if passed and signed, would not have taken effect until July.
9 comments
Michael K
April 18, 2025 at 12:18 pm
What a pandering feckless moron. When I walk on campus the last thing I want to see is anyone with a gun. Students are already traumatized by active shooter drills and proximity to Parkland.
Seber Newsome III
April 18, 2025 at 1:45 pm
yes , I thought of that too,,, if you are 18 years of age, you should be able to have a gun to protect yourself
Earl Pitts American
April 18, 2025 at 1:59 pm
Good afternoon Sage Patriots,
Randy is obviously a fan and follower of me,
Earl Pitts American. Most likely Randy is also aware that here in Florida we have Senate President Back Stabbin Ben to blame for not allowing Faculaty & Staff to have prevented the FSU shooting by letting the staff carry on campus.
Keep up the good work Randy,
Earl Pitts American
TJC
April 18, 2025 at 4:10 pm
GOP pro-gun, hypocritical swagger, as usual. Visitors to the Florida State Capitol building in Tallahassee aren’t allowed to carry guns, and Buckaroo Randy Fine wouldn’t have had it any other way. Same with his new job in the U.S. Capitol in D.C. Reminds me of when Governor DeSantis wanted to ban guns at his election night celebration at Tampa’s Convention Center. He wanted the venue to say it was their policy, not his, only to be told, sorry, banning guns is against state concealed carry laws.
Buckaroo Randy and Wrangler Ron: cardboard cowboys.
ScienceBLVR
April 18, 2025 at 8:15 pm
I always wonder about the ramifications of letting a significant number of staff at a K-12 school or students on a college campus be strapped like it’s the Wild West.. So, okay, as a teacher, I shoot at the bad guy and hit someone else? One of my students? My principal? I’m a pretty good shot, but I’m not a trained school resource officer. How bout the kid just stumbling out of the all night study session, or frat night hears shots, pulls his piece and kills a professor? Who’s responsible? Who pays? How much professional training does the SWAT teams that responds have in taking down suspects? Bet it’s much more than Joe College. Randy Fine is delusional and dangerous.
Silly Wabbit
April 19, 2025 at 11:40 am
Wandy kwazy.
Earl Pitts American
April 19, 2025 at 4:30 pm
Without a doubt, Back-Stabbin President Ben, has FSU blood on his hands due to Ben’s obstanate jelousy of Ron “THE RONALD” Desantis and his Lovely Wife Casey Ben Foolishly would not allow FSY’s Faculity and Staff to carry the weapons needed to stop the recent On Campus killings.
FURTHERMORE:
Back-Stabbin President Ben, was an @55Hole to our Beloved Ron & Casey right out of the gate of this year’s Special Session.
Keep on washing your hands, Back-Stabbin President Ben, just like Pontious Pilot did over and over again trying to get the blood off his hands from having Our Lord and Saviour brutally murdered Two Thousand and Twenty Five years ago.
I, Earl Pitts American, will pray for your “Dark & Evil Soul”, Back Stabbin “RINO” Ben.
Can you imagine how guilty Ben’s constituants who were “Fools Enough To Vote Ben into office” must now feel???
I, Earl Pitts American, strongly suggest for everyone that foolishly voted for Ben to try and wash the FSU blood off your “Dirty Nose Pickin-Butt Scratchin & Sniffin your Hands too.
Earl Pitts American
I, Earl Pitts American, will pray for you.
JD
April 19, 2025 at 4:48 pm
Wow, you’re a real piece of trash. Let’s blame the fact there weren’t enough guns on campus as the reason people died. Brilliant. You’re a special kind of stupid, genius.
An armed society isn’t a polite society. It is a bloodbath waiting to happen. This shooter was going to kill people no matter what. Handing out more guns and spraying more bullets around was not going to save lives, it was going to endanger even more. But sure, let’s trust adrenaline-pumped amateurs who hit the range once a month to magically turn into tactical geniuses under life-or-death stress. I am sure your average professor is totally ready to make split-second decisions in a firefight, right?
Start at the root of the problem: more guns available. It is basic math and basic statistics. The more weapons floating around, the higher the odds one shows up in the hands of some maniac who decides today’s the day to start killing people. It is not rocket science. It is probability. I cannot believe how brain-dead the right has become.
I used to be right-leaning. I used to be centrist. My views never changed. The environment around me did. Idiots like you made being “centrist” impossible. You dragged the conversation so far into delusion and gun worship that basic common sense now sounds “leftist.”
You think this sounds liberal? No. It is just reality. Reality does not care about your feelings, your politics, or your loaded fantasies.
The sad truth is people like you are the reason more kids keep dying. You ideas and ways are not working.
john weiler
April 22, 2025 at 11:51 am
You can as a concealed weapon holder take your weapon through security and go anywhere in the building accept the 2 chambers when in session.
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