When you think of a high-achieving attorney, someone with a law degree from Texas Tech and a history of working as a prosecutor, you don't typically picture them standing outside a university library at midnight with a semi-automatic handgun. But that is exactly where Myron May was on November 20, 2014.
The story of the Florida State University shooting suspect—identified as Myron De'Shawn May—is a deeply unsettling case study in how quickly a "success story" can unravel. He wasn't some shadowy outsider. He was an alum. He was one of their own, a 2005 FSU graduate who had once spent his nights studying in the very same Strozier Library where he would eventually open fire.
Honestly, the details are heartbreaking because they don't fit the typical "loner" profile we see in most campus tragedies.
The Night Everything Changed at Strozier Library
Around 12:30 a.m., while roughly 450 students were cramming for midterms, May walked up to the library. He didn't make it very far inside because of the security turnstiles that require a student ID. He ended up shooting three people—two students and one library employee—before being confronted by Tallahassee and FSU police.
It happened fast.
Within minutes, police ordered him to drop his .380 semi-automatic. Instead of surrendering, he fired at them. The officers returned fire, and May was killed right there on the access ramp.
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You’ve probably seen the news clips of students hiding behind bookshelves or barricading doors with desks. It was pure chaos. But the "why" behind it is what keeps people looking back at this case years later. It wasn't about a grudge against the school or a specific person.
Who Was Myron May?
To understand the Florida State University shooting suspect, you have to look at the man he was before the "breakdown." Myron May was described by friends and family—including retired judge David Taunton—as an "all-American kid." He was smart. He was purpose-oriented. He had moved from a difficult childhood in Ohio to live with his grandmother in Florida, eventually earning a full-ride scholarship to FSU.
By all accounts, he was thriving. He was a prosecutor in New Mexico. He had worked at a Biglaw firm in Houston.
Then, everything started to slip.
He moved back to Florida just three weeks before the shooting, staying in a guest house owned by the Tauntons. He told them he wanted to study for the Florida bar exam. He seemed "a little down" because of financial issues, but nobody saw a mass shooting coming.
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The Descent Into "Targeted Individual" Paranoia
The most chilling part of this story isn't the shooting itself, but the digital and physical trail May left behind. He was convinced he was a "Targeted Individual." This is a specific type of delusion where people believe the government or some shadowy organization is using "electronic harassment" to ruin their lives.
May believed:
- Police had put cameras in his car and his home.
- He was hearing voices through the walls of his apartment.
- Neighbors were part of a "noise campaign" to break him down mentally.
He even tried to "turn himself in" at a sheriff's office in New Mexico weeks before the shooting. He told them he couldn't take the harassment anymore. The person at the desk basically told him they didn't have time for him because it was almost 5:00 p.m. and there were no charges against him.
Basically, the system failed to see a man in a total psychological freefall.
The Packages and the "Suicide by Cop"
Before the shooting, May mailed ten packages to friends and associates. He wanted them to arrive the day after he died. These packages contained videos and journals detailing his perceived persecution.
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Psychologists who have looked at the case, like Dr. Peter Langman, suggest this was a case of adult-onset schizophrenia. May wasn't trying to escape. He was looking for a platform to tell a story that only existed in his mind.
Why This Case Still Matters
The Florida State University shooting suspect represents a terrifying intersection of high achievement and mental health collapse. It’s a reminder that professional success—being a lawyer, a prosecutor, a "success story"—doesn't make someone immune to severe psychosis.
Actually, his intelligence might have made his delusions more "convincing" to him. He used his legal background to "document" his harassment, making his descent feel like a case he was building.
Real Insights for Prevention
Looking back at May's trajectory, there are a few things that stand out as actionable "red flags" that the system missed:
- Sudden Career Shifts: May quit a stable job as a prosecutor and moved across the country with no clear plan, which was a major deviation from his usual "purpose-oriented" behavior.
- Specific Paranoid Vocabulary: The use of terms like "Targeted Individual" or "electronic harassment" are often markers of specific delusional communities online that can reinforce a person's break from reality.
- Unsuccessful Help-Seeking: May tried to get help. He checked himself into a mental health facility and tried to talk to police. When these avenues failed, his paranoia shifted from "I need help" to "Everyone is in on it."
If you or someone you know is experiencing persistent thoughts of being followed or surveilled without evidence, or if there's a sudden, radical change in personality and career stability, these are moments for immediate professional intervention rather than just "waiting for them to feel better."
The tragedy at FSU wasn't just about a gunman; it was about a man who lost his grip on the world and a system that didn't know how to catch him before he hit the ground.
Next Steps for Awareness:
If you want to understand more about the specific psychological triggers in school shootings, research "adult-onset schizophrenia in high-functioning individuals" or look into the "Targeted Individual" subculture. Understanding these patterns is the first step in recognizing a crisis before it turns into a headline.