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Students at Florida State gather at memorials, prepare to retrieve belongings after deadly shooting; fatal victims identified
By Combined dispatches
April 18, 2025 at 12:26 PM EDT
TALLAHASSEE — Students dropped off balloons, candles and teddy bears at a memorial Friday morning near Florida State University’s student union where a 20-year-old opened fire, killing two men and wounding six others.
Some returned to retrieve their belongings less than a day after after they had barricaded classroom doors and fled across campus, abandoning chemistry notes and even shoes. A pair of vigils were planned for the afternoon.
“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.
The shooter, identified by police as Phoenix Ikner, is believed to be a Florida State student and the son of a sheriff’s deputy who began firing with his mother’s former service weapon, investigators said. Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the shooting, which began around lunchtime Thursday just outside the student union.
Officers quickly arrived and shot and wounded the gunman after he refused to comply with commands, said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell.
The two men who were killed were not students, said Florida State University Police Chief Jason Trumbower, who did not release any other details about the victims.
Late Friday the two men were identified, while physicians said that other victims are expected to recover.
Robert Morales, the university’s dining coordinator, was identified by his brother in a social media post as one of the people killed. The other man killed was Tiru Chabba, a Greenville, S.C., resident who was an employee of a campus vendor, according to a news release from lawyers representing his family.
Physicians at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital said during a news conference Friday that the other victims were expected to recover after suffering injuries such as gunshot wounds to their extremities, chests and abdomens.
“We were very lucky. Obviously, this was catastrophic, but given the number of students in that compressed area, the recipe for disaster is very scary,” surgeon Shelby Blank said. Makeshift memorials were set up on campus near the scene of the shooting.
“Being in that situation yesterday, and it being real and not just a drill, was very scary,” FSU senior Angie Ghanem said. “I am thankful for law enforcement acting as quick as they could and getting everyone to safety. I just felt that I needed to pay my respects today.”
The shooter obtained a weapon that belongs to his mother, who has been with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office for over 18 years and has been a model employee, said Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil. Police said they believed Ikner shot the victims using his mother’s former service handgun, which she had kept for personal use after the force upgraded its weapons.
Five people who were wounded were struck by gunfire, while a sixth was hurt while trying to run away, Revell said. Two were expected to be discharged from Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare on Friday, three have been upgraded to good condition and one remained in fair, a hospital spokesperson for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said Friday morning.
The shooter was a long-standing member of the Leon County Sheriff’s youth advisory council, which was created to build communication between young people and local law enforcement while also teaching the teens leadership and team-building skills.
“He has been steeped in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office family, engaged in a number of training programs that we have,” McNeil said. “So it’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons.”
As of Thursday night, Ikner was in the hospital with “serious but non-life-threatening injuries,” according to Revell. The hospital declined to provide an update on the shooter’s condition, saying it cannot comment on the identity of patients.
Mood on campus
He was not at the student center when it happened, but 21-year-old FSU student Brian Mahoney was just about to head to class on Thursday morning when he noticed some concerning messages from his classmate and describes his feelings and the current mood on the Tallahassee campus:
"I heard in one of my groupchats that there’s an active shooter, and then maybe three minutes later, FSU sent out an alert," he said. ""I kind of felt like helpless, because, like, all I could do is kind of sit in my apartment and just pray that they're OK, you know? … But there's nothing I could do."
After checking his social media, Mahoney says he began to see unedited videos and images of the shooting.
"It's pretty traumatizing, especially seeing people like, prioritizing taking videos of the instead of, like, safety…," he said. "That was my biggest, like, concern, because I was texting all my all my friends and making sure they were OK."
Mahoney says that growing up, FSU was his dream school. Now, he says the gruesome incident has cast a dark cloud over his time on campus.
"I mean, I'm a graduating senior, so it's a little sad that, like now, almost like my memory of the school will be like this," he said.
As for the mood on campus now, Mahoney says there’s a sense of anxiety in the air, and that some are desperate for change.
"Throughout the group chats and stuff, it seems like everyone's just, like, scared," Mahoney said. "I just hope people can see this as like a wake up call… Whether it's gun control, mental health, things need to change."
Flags set at half-staff
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff after two people were killed and six were injured Thursday during the shooting at Florida State University.
“In memory of the lives lost in this tragedy and to recognize the bravery shown by the first responders, I hereby direct the flags of the United States and the state of Florida to be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the state of Florida until sunset on Monday, April 21, 2025,” DeSantis said in an announcement.
The university scheduled a vigil at 5 p.m. Friday at Langford Green on the FSU campus.
Witness says the suspect’s shotgun jammedAmbulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles raced toward the campus just west of Florida’s capital as the university issued an active shooter alert.
Aidan Stickney, a 21-year-old studying business management, was running late to class when he said he saw a man get out of a car with a shotgun and aim at another man in a white polo shirt.
The gun jammed, Stickney said, and the shooter rushed back to his car and emerged with a handgun, opening fire on a woman. Stickney ran, warning others as he called 911.
“I got lucky today. I really did. I really, really did,” he said.
Trumbower said investigators have no evidence that anyone was shot with the shotgun.
Sunglasses and a computer left by by a student are shown inside the Florida State Student Union building in Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (3535x2357, AR: 1.4997878659312687)
Shots sent students scatteringHolden Mendez, a 20-year-old student studying political science and international affairs, said he had just left the student union when he heard a series of shots. He ran into a nearby campus building, where his previous emergency response training kicked in.
“There was a lot of fear. There was a lot of panic. There was a lot of misinformation that was being spread around. I was doing my best to kind of combat that,” he said. “I told people, ‘Take a deep breath. This building is secure. Everything is going to be OK.’”
Andres Perez, 20, was in a classroom near the student union when the alarm sounded for a lockdown. He said his classmates began moving desks in front of the door and police officers came to escort them out.
“I always hang out in the student union,” Perez said. “So the second I found out that the threat was there, my heart sank and I was scared.”
Another shooting a decade ago at Florida StateFlorida State has about 44,000 students. In 2014, the main library was the site of a shooting that wounded three people. Officers shot and killed the gunman, 31-year-old Myron May.
The university canceled classes for the rest of the week and canceled home athletic events through Sunday.
WFSU RADIO report
Florida State University is closed today, but some events are taking place on campus following Thursday's shooting.
Those who left behind belongings when they fled will be able to retrieve them today between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Photo ID will be required. FSU faculty, staff, and volunteers will be at more than a dozen locations to offer assistance.
Counseling services are available all day, and a vigil will be held at 5 p.m.
An impromptu memorial shared online brings students bearing flowers near the center of the Florida State campus in sight of the Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (3773x2515, AR: 1.5001988071570576)
Here is information released by FSU:
Information on Support Center, Vigil and Donations
As Florida State University continues to recover from the events of the April 17 campus shooting, the university has released the following information:
SUPPORT CENTER OPEN FRIDAY, APRIL 18
Florida State University has opened a Support Center at the Askew Student Life Center from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, April 18. Counseling and Victim's Advocate services will be available, and staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance. The Tucker Center facility closed Thursday evening.
DONATIONS OF GOODS AND SERVICES
The university is not in need of additional resources at this time, however individuals or organizations who are wanting to make donations of goods and services should contact studentaffairs@fsu.edu. They will contact you directly.
VIGIL SET FOR FRIDAY, APRIL 18
The university will hold a vigil for the victims at 5 p.m. Friday, April 18, at Langford Green in front of the Unconquered Statue.
For the most up-to-date information regarding FSU's response to the April 17 shooting, visit alerts.fsu.edu.
RECLAIM YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS FROM CAMPUS FRIDAY
The campus community will be able to retrieve personal belongings from select campus buildings between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, April 18. Be prepared to produce a photo ID to claim your belongings.
All campus buildings will be locked but university faculty, staff, and volunteers will be on site at each of the following locations to assist individuals with claiming their belongings:
Bellamy Building
EAOS Building
Carothers Building
Dirac Science Library
FSU Student Union
Strozier Library
HCB Classroom Building
Leach Center
Longmire Building
Love Building
Montgomery Hall
Moore Auditorium
Rovetta Business A&B
Thagard Building
If your belongings were left in another campus building not on this list, or if you are unable to retrieve your belongings on Friday, please call 850-644-4444 to schedule assistance.
WGCU's Julie Perez, WFSU's Gina Jordan, The Association Press and the News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Some returned to retrieve their belongings less than a day after after they had barricaded classroom doors and fled across campus, abandoning chemistry notes and even shoes. A pair of vigils were planned for the afternoon.
“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.
The shooter, identified by police as Phoenix Ikner, is believed to be a Florida State student and the son of a sheriff’s deputy who began firing with his mother’s former service weapon, investigators said. Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the shooting, which began around lunchtime Thursday just outside the student union.
Officers quickly arrived and shot and wounded the gunman after he refused to comply with commands, said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell.
The two men who were killed were not students, said Florida State University Police Chief Jason Trumbower, who did not release any other details about the victims.
Late Friday the two men were identified, while physicians said that other victims are expected to recover.
Robert Morales, the university’s dining coordinator, was identified by his brother in a social media post as one of the people killed. The other man killed was Tiru Chabba, a Greenville, S.C., resident who was an employee of a campus vendor, according to a news release from lawyers representing his family.
Physicians at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital said during a news conference Friday that the other victims were expected to recover after suffering injuries such as gunshot wounds to their extremities, chests and abdomens.
“We were very lucky. Obviously, this was catastrophic, but given the number of students in that compressed area, the recipe for disaster is very scary,” surgeon Shelby Blank said. Makeshift memorials were set up on campus near the scene of the shooting.
“Being in that situation yesterday, and it being real and not just a drill, was very scary,” FSU senior Angie Ghanem said. “I am thankful for law enforcement acting as quick as they could and getting everyone to safety. I just felt that I needed to pay my respects today.”
The shooter obtained a weapon that belongs to his mother, who has been with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office for over 18 years and has been a model employee, said Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil. Police said they believed Ikner shot the victims using his mother’s former service handgun, which she had kept for personal use after the force upgraded its weapons.
Five people who were wounded were struck by gunfire, while a sixth was hurt while trying to run away, Revell said. Two were expected to be discharged from Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare on Friday, three have been upgraded to good condition and one remained in fair, a hospital spokesperson for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said Friday morning.
The shooter was a long-standing member of the Leon County Sheriff’s youth advisory council, which was created to build communication between young people and local law enforcement while also teaching the teens leadership and team-building skills.
“He has been steeped in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office family, engaged in a number of training programs that we have,” McNeil said. “So it’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons.”
As of Thursday night, Ikner was in the hospital with “serious but non-life-threatening injuries,” according to Revell. The hospital declined to provide an update on the shooter’s condition, saying it cannot comment on the identity of patients.
Mood on campus
He was not at the student center when it happened, but 21-year-old FSU student Brian Mahoney was just about to head to class on Thursday morning when he noticed some concerning messages from his classmate and describes his feelings and the current mood on the Tallahassee campus:
"I heard in one of my groupchats that there’s an active shooter, and then maybe three minutes later, FSU sent out an alert," he said. ""I kind of felt like helpless, because, like, all I could do is kind of sit in my apartment and just pray that they're OK, you know? … But there's nothing I could do."
After checking his social media, Mahoney says he began to see unedited videos and images of the shooting.
"It's pretty traumatizing, especially seeing people like, prioritizing taking videos of the instead of, like, safety…," he said. "That was my biggest, like, concern, because I was texting all my all my friends and making sure they were OK."
Mahoney says that growing up, FSU was his dream school. Now, he says the gruesome incident has cast a dark cloud over his time on campus.
"I mean, I'm a graduating senior, so it's a little sad that, like now, almost like my memory of the school will be like this," he said.
As for the mood on campus now, Mahoney says there’s a sense of anxiety in the air, and that some are desperate for change.
"Throughout the group chats and stuff, it seems like everyone's just, like, scared," Mahoney said. "I just hope people can see this as like a wake up call… Whether it's gun control, mental health, things need to change."
Flags set at half-staff
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff after two people were killed and six were injured Thursday during the shooting at Florida State University.
“In memory of the lives lost in this tragedy and to recognize the bravery shown by the first responders, I hereby direct the flags of the United States and the state of Florida to be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the state of Florida until sunset on Monday, April 21, 2025,” DeSantis said in an announcement.
The university scheduled a vigil at 5 p.m. Friday at Langford Green on the FSU campus.
Witness says the suspect’s shotgun jammedAmbulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles raced toward the campus just west of Florida’s capital as the university issued an active shooter alert.
Aidan Stickney, a 21-year-old studying business management, was running late to class when he said he saw a man get out of a car with a shotgun and aim at another man in a white polo shirt.
The gun jammed, Stickney said, and the shooter rushed back to his car and emerged with a handgun, opening fire on a woman. Stickney ran, warning others as he called 911.
“I got lucky today. I really did. I really, really did,” he said.
Trumbower said investigators have no evidence that anyone was shot with the shotgun.
Sunglasses and a computer left by by a student are shown inside the Florida State Student Union building in Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (3535x2357, AR: 1.4997878659312687)
Shots sent students scatteringHolden Mendez, a 20-year-old student studying political science and international affairs, said he had just left the student union when he heard a series of shots. He ran into a nearby campus building, where his previous emergency response training kicked in.
“There was a lot of fear. There was a lot of panic. There was a lot of misinformation that was being spread around. I was doing my best to kind of combat that,” he said. “I told people, ‘Take a deep breath. This building is secure. Everything is going to be OK.’”
Andres Perez, 20, was in a classroom near the student union when the alarm sounded for a lockdown. He said his classmates began moving desks in front of the door and police officers came to escort them out.
“I always hang out in the student union,” Perez said. “So the second I found out that the threat was there, my heart sank and I was scared.”
Another shooting a decade ago at Florida StateFlorida State has about 44,000 students. In 2014, the main library was the site of a shooting that wounded three people. Officers shot and killed the gunman, 31-year-old Myron May.
The university canceled classes for the rest of the week and canceled home athletic events through Sunday.
WFSU RADIO report
Florida State University is closed today, but some events are taking place on campus following Thursday's shooting.
Those who left behind belongings when they fled will be able to retrieve them today between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Photo ID will be required. FSU faculty, staff, and volunteers will be at more than a dozen locations to offer assistance.
Counseling services are available all day, and a vigil will be held at 5 p.m.
An impromptu memorial shared online brings students bearing flowers near the center of the Florida State campus in sight of the Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (3773x2515, AR: 1.5001988071570576)
Here is information released by FSU:
Information on Support Center, Vigil and Donations
As Florida State University continues to recover from the events of the April 17 campus shooting, the university has released the following information:
SUPPORT CENTER OPEN FRIDAY, APRIL 18
Florida State University has opened a Support Center at the Askew Student Life Center from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, April 18. Counseling and Victim's Advocate services will be available, and staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance. The Tucker Center facility closed Thursday evening.
DONATIONS OF GOODS AND SERVICES
The university is not in need of additional resources at this time, however individuals or organizations who are wanting to make donations of goods and services should contact studentaffairs@fsu.edu. They will contact you directly.
VIGIL SET FOR FRIDAY, APRIL 18
The university will hold a vigil for the victims at 5 p.m. Friday, April 18, at Langford Green in front of the Unconquered Statue.
For the most up-to-date information regarding FSU's response to the April 17 shooting, visit alerts.fsu.edu.
RECLAIM YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS FROM CAMPUS FRIDAY
The campus community will be able to retrieve personal belongings from select campus buildings between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, April 18. Be prepared to produce a photo ID to claim your belongings.
All campus buildings will be locked but university faculty, staff, and volunteers will be on site at each of the following locations to assist individuals with claiming their belongings:
Bellamy Building
EAOS Building
Carothers Building
Dirac Science Library
FSU Student Union
Strozier Library
HCB Classroom Building
Leach Center
Longmire Building
Love Building
Montgomery Hall
Moore Auditorium
Rovetta Business A&B
Thagard Building
If your belongings were left in another campus building not on this list, or if you are unable to retrieve your belongings on Friday, please call 850-644-4444 to schedule assistance.
WGCU's Julie Perez, WFSU's Gina Jordan, The Association Press and the News Service of Florida contributed to this report.