Victims in deadly Florida State University shooting identified

Two people who were killed after a cop’s stepson allegedly open fired on a university campus in Florida, have been identified.

Two people who were killed after a police officer’s stepson allegedly open fired at Florida State University, have been identified.

Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old student, allegedly began shooting in the area of the student union at the university's Tallahassee campus around 11.50am on Thursday, US time, killing two people and injuring five others.

Mr Ikner did not comply with commands and was shot and wounded by first responders, Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police said. He was hospitalised and is now in custody with non-life-threatening injuries, law enforcement officials told ABC News.

Phoenix Ikner has been identified as the alleged shooter. Picture: Instagram

Police are yet to officially release the names of any of the victims. However, father of one Robert Morales, has been identified by a family member as one of the men who were killed in the shooting.

The 57-year-old was a longtime employee in the university’s dining services department.

“Today we lost my younger brother,” Mr Morales’ brother, Ricardo Morales Jr, wrote on social media.
“He was one of the victims killed at FSU. He loved his job at FSU and his beautiful wife and daughter. I’m glad you were in my life.”

Robert Morales has been identified as one of the victims. Picture: GoFundMe

Tiru Chabba was also killed in the shooting. Picture: The Strom Law Firm/Fox Carolina

Tiru Chabba, a father of two, was also killed in the shooting, according to a law firm representing the family.

The 45-year-old was at the university on Thursday working as a campus vendor when he was shot.

Six people, including the alleged shooter, were injured and taken to hospital.

All six patients are in stable condition and are expected to make a full recovery, staff at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said.

One of the patients was in a “fair” condition, trauma nurse Dr Brett Howard said.

Student forced to play dead after being shot

Footage on social media showed groups of people running through traffic as sirens blasted in the background.

Other clips showed first responders and SWAT swarming the campus.

One student said she was forced to play dead after she was shot from behind and “fell” to the ground.

“I released all the muscles in my body, closed my eyes and held my breath,” Madison Askins, 23, told ABC News. “And I would take short breaths in between when I needed to.”

“At one point I did think [the gunman] had walked away, so I was going to shift over to grab my phone to share my last ‘I love you’s’ with my family,” she said.

But then she heard the gunman reload his weapon.

Madison Askins was forced to play dead after being shot. Picture: ABC News

She also told the outlet she heard him calmly say the words “keep running”.

“I know for certain if I was moving he would’ve shot me again,” said Ms Askins.

The gunman eventually left and the student laid on the ground until she was approached by a police officer, who helped tend to her wounds.

Another student Joshua Sirmans, 20, said he was in the university’s main library when he said alarms began going off warning of an active shooter.

Florida State University students wait for news amid an active shooter incident at the campus. Picture: AP Photo/Kate Payne

Mr Sirmans said law enforcement officers escorted him and other students out of the library with their hands over their heads.

“I’m shaking … It’s just a lot going on,” student Emily Palmer, 21, told CNN after she was evacuated.

“I’m concerned about my friends,” she said. “I have friends in class right who are getting evacuated by police with their hands up.”

Shooting at Florida State University. Picture: NBC.

‘Not a surprise’ alleged shooter had access to weapons

“This event is tragic in more ways than you people in the audience could ever fathom from a law enforcement perspective,” Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said on Thursday afternoon, US time.

Mr Ikner, the stepson of Leon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jessica Ikner was a “long-standing member” of the sheriff’s office Youth Advisory Council.

“It’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons,” said Mr McNeil.

Police alleged he used a handgun in the shooting and also had a shotgun.

One of the guns was allegedly his stepmother’s previous police issued weapon, which she had bought and kept when her service gun was upgraded.

The motive behind the shooting remains unclear.

The incident happened at Florida State University at noon on Thursday.

People comfort each other on Florida State University campus. Picture: AP Photo/Kate Payne

“A horrible thing”

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he’d been briefed on the shooting, telling reporters in the Oval Office: “It’s a shame, a horrible thing, it’s horrible that things like this take place”.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wrote in a post on X: “Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding”.

FSU president Richard McCullough said the university is working to support the victims, their families and those affected by the “traumatic event”.

“This is a tragic day for Florida State University,” he told reporters.

“We’re absolutely heartbroken by the violence that occurred on our campus earlier today.”

Florida Attorney-General James Uthmeier said his office was among those responding to the shooting.

“My office is responding to the active shooter situation on FSU’s campus, and we will provide updates as they become available,” he said in an X post. The FBI, too, said it was on the scene.

– with The New York Post.

Originally published as Victims in deadly Florida State University shooting identified