FSU Campus Mourns After Deadly Shooting Kills Two \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Students at Florida State University gathered in mourning after a campus shooting left two dead and six injured. The suspected gunman, Phoenix Ikner, was shot and wounded by police just minutes into his rampage. Victims included campus employee Robert Morales and food service worker Tiru Chabba.
Quick Looks
- FSU students held prayer circles, placed flowers and candles after deadly shooting
- Two men killed were identified as Robert Morales and Tiru Chabba
- Gunman Phoenix Ikner, 20, is an FSU student and son of a sheriff’s deputy
- Police say he opened fire on campus just before lunchtime Thursday
- The attack lasted under five minutes before Ikner was shot by officers
- He allegedly used his mother’s former service weapon
- His mother is a school resource officer with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office
- Six people were hospitalized with gunshot wounds; all are expected to survive
- Some wounded were FSU students; one additional person was injured fleeing
- The shooting occurred just before an anti-hate event on campus
- Ikner was a political science junior and former member of a sheriff’s youth council
- The campus community is calling for healing and support after the tragedy
Deep Look
A somber mood has enveloped Florida State University (FSU) after a shocking campus shooting left two people dead and six others injured during a brief but devastating attack near the student union. On Friday, students returned to the scene of the violence—not for classes, which were canceled—but to grieve, pray, and honor the lives lost. Along sidewalks, they laid balloons, candles, flowers, and teddy bears in makeshift memorials, mourning the tragedy that struck their community just a day earlier.
The gunman, identified by police as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a political science junior at FSU, was shot and wounded by responding officers roughly four minutes after the shooting began. According to Tallahassee police, Ikner arrived on campus an hour before the attack and loitered near a parking garage before walking into open spaces and campus buildings, firing a handgun just before lunchtime.
Authorities said Ikner used a former service weapon belonging to his mother, an 18-year veteran of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, who currently serves as a middle school resource officer. The sheriff’s department confirmed she had been employee of the month just one year ago. Following the incident, she was granted personal leave and temporarily reassigned.
Ikner, who graduated with an associate degree from Tallahassee State College last fall, was a member of the Leon County Sheriff’s Youth Advisory Council, a program designed to foster leadership and communication between youth and law enforcement.
Victims Identified and Remembered
While officials have not yet formally named the two deceased victims, family members have identified them as Robert Morales, a longtime university dining services coordinator, and Tiru Chabba, a 45-year-old father of two from Greenville, South Carolina, who worked for Aramark, a food service vendor contracted by the university.
Morales had deep ties to the university, having studied criminology at FSU in the 1990s and working on campus since 2015. His death drew emotional tributes from students and colleagues alike. Chabba, described by family attorney spokesperson Michael Wukela, leaves behind a wife and two children and was in Tallahassee working when tragedy struck.
The six individuals wounded in the shooting were taken to Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, where staff confirmed all are expected to recover. Police also said another person was injured while attempting to flee the scene, underscoring the panic and fear unleashed in just a few short minutes.
Some of those injured were students, said FSU President Richard McCullough, who praised law enforcement’s swift response and expressed sorrow for the lives lost and disrupted.
Campus in Mourning and a Community United
Though classes were canceled, many students returned to campus Friday to collect personal belongings left behind in the rush to escape. Several reported having barricaded themselves inside classrooms during the chaos. Audrey Rothman, a member of the FSU women’s volleyball team, brought flowers and joined teammates in a silent prayer circle.
“I don’t think any words can do it justice,” she said softly.
The shooting came just hours before a scheduled on-campus event titled “United Against Hate: Building a Safer Campus and Community Together.” The forum was part of an initiative honoring Maura Binkley, an FSU student who was killed in a 2018 mass shooting at a local yoga studio.
The symbolism wasn’t lost on students or faculty, as another act of violence once again tore through their sense of safety. A few miles from campus, Bethel Missionary Baptist Church began its Good Friday services with special prayers for the victims and their families. The Rev. R.B. Holmes, joined by Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey, told his congregation that this moment should not be defined solely by the horror of the event.
“We’re not going to emphasize the tragedy,” Holmes said. “We’re going to emphasize hope and healing. Our faith says we shall overcome. I said to the students, we will be there for them.”
Unanswered Questions and Ongoing Investigation
As of now, authorities have not released a motive for the shooting, nor clarified whether Ikner left behind any writings or communications that might explain his actions. The investigation is ongoing, with police examining possible personal, academic, or psychological factors that may have contributed to the attack.
The rapid response by law enforcement may have prevented further loss of life, but the incident has reignited conversations about campus safety, gun access, and mental health. Ikner’s access to a law enforcement-grade weapon, even a retired one, raises questions about gun storage and accountability in law enforcement households.
As the FSU community grieves, it is also rallying—through vigils, faith, and shared determination—not to let violence define them.
FSU Campus Mourns FSU Campus Mourns
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