Florida student saved from university shooting by textbook

An American college student has described how a backpack full of textbooks saved his life when a gunman went on the rampage.

Jason Derfuss, a 21-year-old humanities student, said he only realised how close he had come to death when he found a bullet among his books hours after the attack at Florida State University.

"There is no way I should be alive," he told NBC News. "Literally, those books saved my life."

Two students and a university employee were wounded on Wednesday night when a graduate opened fire with a semi-automatic handgun.

The gunman, named as Myron May, 31, was shot dead by police near the entrance to the university's Strozier Library, in Tallahassee, the latest in a string of shootings on American campuses.

One victim was critically wounded.

Authorities said they found later found journals and videos written by May in which he set out his fears that government agencies were targeting him.

Mr Derfuss said he had a copy of The Oxford Context of Wyclifﾒs Thought to thank for his lucky escape.

He explained how he had just checked out the books from Strozier Library when he was stopped in his tracks by a loud bang.

"I knew it was a gunshot right away and slowly turned around to see the gunman running toward another student and shoot him two times," he said.

"I was about 50 yards away and ran to my car and called my dad, who told me to call 911."

It was only later that he realised just how close he had come to serious injury or worse.

"I pulled out the books and saw they were all ripped apart," he said. "I started examining them and my friend found a bullet in the back page."

Classes were cancelled on Thursday as authorities stepped up security. John Thrasher, university president, said normal operations would resume on Friday at the campus of about 40,000 students, known for its strong football team and academic standards.