A Florida State University student who was in the library when gunfire broke out was likely saved by books he had just checked out and stashed in his backpack.

Jason Derfuss, an FSU student from Central Florida, was exiting the library after checking out some books. That's when he saw the alleged shooter, Myron May, approach him and aim the gun right at him.

Shots were fired. The person behind Derfuss went down. Then Derfuss ran.

When he got to a safe place, he checked his backpack. The bullet went right through his bag, but the two books stopped the bullet from traveling any farther.

Derfuss called his parents, who live in Apopka, around 3 a.m. to tell him there was a shooting and he was targeted.

"He knew that the gun had been aimed at him," said Derfuss' mother, Linda Derfuss. "He heard (the gun) go off, but he didn't feel anything. So anyway, he definitely was spared, which makes me feel for the other victims."

Derfuss' family is on the way to Tallahassee to bring him home for an extended Thanksgiving break. His parents both went to FSU and recall going to Strozier Library as students.