Introduction to the Tragedy
TALLAHASSEE (AP) — Students stood in prayer circles and piled balloons, candles, and teddy bears along a sidewalk Friday near Florida State University’s student union, where two people were shot and killed and six others were wounded during a rampage lasting less than five minutes.
The gunman, identified as the son of a sheriff’s deputy, arrived on campus an hour before the shooting Thursday and stayed near a parking garage before he walked in and out of buildings and green spaces and firing a handgun just before lunchtime, police said.
The Shooting and Aftermath
In roughly four minutes, officers confronted 20-year-old son Phoenix Ikner, a Florida State student, and shot and wounded him, Tallahassee police said. Officials have not identified the two men who died, but family members said Robert Morales, a university dining coordinator, was one of them. He worked at Florida State since 2015 and studied criminology there in the early 1990s, according to his LinkedIn profile. The other was Tiru Chabba, 45, a married father of two from Greenville, South Carolina, who was working for food service vendor Aramark, said Michael Wukela, a spokesperson for attorneys hired by the family.
Victims and Injuries
Police have said five others were shot, and another person was hurt running away. Medical staff at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare said they treated six people for gunshots and all were expected to survive. They would not give any information about those people’s identities or say whether the suspect was among them. Police said earlier that he was taken to a local hospital. Some of the wounded were students, according to university President Richard McCullough.
Campus Response and Investigation
Classes were canceled Friday, but some students came to campus to retrieve backpacks and laptops they left behind when they barricaded classroom doors and eventually fled to safety. “I don’t think any words can do it justice,” said Audrey Rothman, one of three members of the Florida State women’s volleyball team who brought flowers and held hands in a brief prayer circle. Police believe Ikner used a former service weapon that belongs to his mother, an 18-year veteran of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Walt McNeil said.
Background of the Suspect
The suspect was a longstanding member of the Leon County Sheriff’s youth advisory council, police said. The group was created to build communication between young people and local law enforcement while also teaching teens leadership and team-building skills. He was a junior at FSU studying political science after earning an associate’s degree last fall from Tallahassee State College, university spokeswoman Amy Farnum-Patronis confirmed. Authorities have not yet revealed a motive.
Previous Trauma and Community Response
The shooting erupted just a few hours before a forum on countering hate on campus was to take place in a classroom building nearby. The event, titled “United Against Hate: Building a Safer Campus and Community Together,” was part of a project honoring Maura Binkley, a Florida State student who was killed in a mass shooting at a yoga studio in 2018. A few students who are now at Florida State also went through the trauma of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School seven years ago in South Florida.
Personal Accounts of Trauma
Stephanie Horowitz looked out at the sprawling campus and saw a dreadful reminder that brought her back to when she was a teenager at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the Parkland massacre seven years ago. “You could almost see the silence. There was not a soul in sight and belongings left behind like open laptops and bags,” Horowitz said in an interview with The Associated Press. Horowitz, a graduate student at Florida State University, is among a small group who were in the traumatizing midst of both the massacre in Parkland and now the shooting at the college in Tallahassee, inexplicably forced to endure a second school shooting in the early stages of their adult lives.
Conclusion
The shooting at Florida State University is a tragic reminder of the ongoing issue of gun violence in the United States. The community is coming together to support the victims and their families, and to call for action to prevent such tragedies from happening again. As the investigation continues, it is clear that this incident will have a lasting impact on the students, faculty, and staff of Florida State University.
FAQs
- Q: How many people were killed in the shooting at Florida State University?
A: Two people were killed in the shooting. - Q: How many people were injured in the shooting?
A: Six people were injured, with one additional person hurt while running away. - Q: Who was the suspect in the shooting?
A: The suspect was identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a Florida State student and the son of a sheriff’s deputy. - Q: What was the motive behind the shooting?
A: Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the shooting. - Q: How has the community responded to the shooting?
A: The community has come together to support the victims and their families, with many students, faculty, and staff gathering on campus to pay their respects and call for action to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
