Gunfire erupted near Florida State University’s student union last Thursday, sending students fleeing and forcing the campus into lockdown. Belongings were left abandoned on the lawn. Some students barricaded the entrance to their classroom with a pile of chairs and desks. Police sirens replaced the sound of birds and chatter.
After a three hour shelter-in-place, two people were dead, six other victims were wounded and the campus was forever changed.
The suspected gunman, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, an FSU student and the stepson of Leon County Deputy Jessica Ikner, was shot by police after refusing to comply with commands. He was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
FSU employees Robert Morales, 57, and Tiru Chabba, 45, were killed. The other victims are expected to recover, according to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.
“The University of Miami stands in heartfelt solidarity with the Florida State University community in the wake of today’s tragic events,” UM said in a statement on its Instagram, @univmiami, on Thursday. “Our thoughts are with all those affected – especially the families, friends and loved ones impacted. As a fellow member of the ACC, we stand in unity with the Seminoles.”
This marks the sixth mass shooting in Florida in 2025 out of the 81 mass shootings in the United States this year, according to data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.
Ikner used his mother’s personal handgun, a retired service weapon, according to Leon County Sheriff Walter A. McNeil. The alleged shooter has been a long-time member of Leon County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Advisory.
Following the tragedy, over 2,000 students, faculty and community members gathered in the school’s central park, Langford Green, for a vigil on Friday at 5 p.m. Dressed in garnet and gold, the crowd stood in front of the Unconquered Statue surrounded by flowers, candles and stuffed animals.
At the vigil, FSU’s Student Body President Carson Dale said, “It’s important to remember in moments like this that there is light, even in the darkest of times.”
Video and photos flooded social media, showing students scattering as shots rang out, with sirens filling the air as law enforcement converged on the scene.
Despite the horror, FSU senior Tori Grossman says the university’s response and the sense of solidarity have provided her comfort.
“Even though it felt kind of broken yesterday, we’re still a community,” she said.
Professors extended deadlines, counseling services were expanded and FSU’s food pantry assured students that resources would remain available.
Although classes resumed, FSU President Richard McCullough announced that mandatory attendance is being waived for the final week of classes.
“We want everyone to receive the support and help they need,” he said in a message to students, faculty and staff on Saturday. “For some students that may mean not going back into the classroom. For others, the idea of community and gathering, as well as the opportunity to focus on academics, may be beneficial. There is no single right answer for everyone.”
McCullough was among his FSU community at the vigil, and tearfully closed the evening’s ceremony with a message of strength and unity.
“We will carry this loss with us. We’ll carry it together – and we will move forward, together,” he said.
Florida and U.S. flags remained at half-staff through sunset on Monday, April 21.
Gov. Ron DeSantis posted a video on X Thursday evening condemning the shooter’s actions and thanking law enforcement.
“This killer must and will be brought to justice to the fullest extent of the law,” he said. “I want to also thank the law enforcement personnel who were on the scene both for the university as well as for the city of Tallahassee. They ran towards the danger. We’re all Seminoles today.”
President Donald Trump said he had been fully briefed on the situation before his meeting with the Italian prime minister in the Oval Office Thursday afternoon.
“These things are terrible,” Trump said to CBS News. “But the gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do … I have an obligation to protect the Second Amendment.”
Law enforcement continues to monitor this investigation and further details will be released as they become available.