FSU shooting survivor recounts pulse-pounding moments she played dead while alleged gunman Phoenix Ikner reloaded weapon nearby

A postgraduate pupil who was wounded successful the Florida State University shooting Thursday survived the harrowing onslaught by closing her eyes and “playing dead,” she said Friday.

Madison Askins, 23, was walking with a person adjacent the pupil national Thursday morning, erstwhile she was changeable successful the buttocks from behind, she told ABC News.

She fell to the crushed and did everything successful her powerfulness not to move.

“I released each the muscles successful my body, closed my eyes and held my breath,” she said. “And I would instrumentality abbreviated breaths successful betwixt erstwhile I needed to.”

Madison Askins, Florida State University postgraduate pupil said she played dormant to survive. ABC News

“I cognize for definite if I was moving helium would’ve changeable maine again,” Askins said — adding she heard the slayer reload his limb and mumble, “Keep running” arsenic students scattered.

The gunman yet near the country and Askins stayed connected the crushed inactive until an serviceman came to her rescue.

Here is the latest connected the Florida State University shooting

• Shooter opens occurrence connected FSU pupil union, leaving astatine slightest 2 dead, aggregate injured
• Some students astatine FSU shooting are Parkland massacre survivors, victim’s dada says
• FSU shooter brandished rifle, past pistol, retired of orangish Hummer, changeable pistillate ‘right successful beforehand of him’: pupil witness
• Phoenix Ikner ID’d arsenic FSU shooting suspect, lad of sheriff’s lawman with entree to her firearm

 “I knew I conscionable needed to enactment calm,” she told the station. “I knew everything was implicit erstwhile we had aggregate officers travel implicit and they archer maine they got him. I was capable to breathe.”

Phoenix Ikner is accused of perpetrating the wide shooting connected Florida State’s campus. Facebook / Janice Ikner

Askins inactive has a slug lodged successful her vertebrae and volition person it removed successful a country successful coming days.

“I’m not gonna fto it teardrop maine down,” she added. “No, helium doesn’t get that.”

The alleged gunman, Phoenix Ikner, 20, killed 2 radical and wounded 5 others earlier helium was changeable by officers Thursday. He is besides expected to survive.