TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The 20-year-old son of a sheriff’s deputy opened fire Thursday at Florida State University with his mother’s former service weapon, killing two people and wounding at least six others, investigators said.
Officers quickly arrived and shot and wounded the shooter after he refused to comply with commands, said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell.
Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the shooting, which began around lunch time just outside the student union, sending students and frightened parents hiding for cover in a bowling alley and a freight elevator inside the building.
The shooter, identified by police as Phoenix Ikner, is believed to be a Florida State student, investigators said.
He had obtained access to a weapon that belongs to his mother, who has been with the sheriff’s office for over 18 years, said Walt McNeil, Sheriff of Leon County. Police said they believed Ikner shot the victims using his mother's former service handgun.
The two people who died were not students at the university, said Florida State University Police Chief Jason Trumbower, adding that he would not release additional information about the victims.
Tallahassee Memorial Hospital confirmed it was treating six patients wounded from in the shooting, one in critical condition.
Ambulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus just west of Florida's capital after the university issued an active shooter alert Thursday.
Ryan Cedergren, a 21-year-old communications student, said he and about 30 others hid in the bowling alley in the union's lower level after seeing students running from a nearby bar.
“In that moment, it was survival,” he said.
Chris Pento said he and his twins were getting lunch at the student union during a campus tour when they heard gunshots. “It was surreal. And people just started running,” he told WCTV in Tallahassee.
They crammed into a service elevator after encountering locked doors at the end of a hallway. “That was probably the scariest point because we didn’t know. It could get worse, right?” he said. “The doors opened and two officers were there, guns drawn.”
Dozens of patrol vehicles, including a forensics van, were parked outside the student union hours after the shooting. Officers blocked off the area with crime scene tape.
Students and staff who left behind phones, keys and other items in the rush to evacuate waited in the shade and prayed for the victims.
President Donald Trump said from the Oval Office that he had been fully briefed on the shooting. “It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place,” he said.
After receiving warnings of an active shooter, students and faculty took cover and waited in classrooms, offices and dorms across campus.
The first thing you think of is just, ‘This can’t be true,’ right?” said Kai McGalla, a sophomore who spoke by phone while locked down at a campus testing center.
Junior Joshua Sirmans, 20, was in the main library when alarms went off. Law enforcement officers escorted him and other students from the library with their hands over their heads, he said.
Florida State University is one of Florida’s 12 public universities, with its main campus in Tallahassee. About 44,000 students are enrolled in the university, per the school’s 2024 fact sheet.
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 all classes and events for Thursday. It also canceled home athletic events through Sunday.
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A gunman opened fire Thursday at Florida State University, killing two people and wounded at least five others, police said. The 20-year-old gunman was the son of a sheriff’s deputy whose former service weapon was used in the shooting, authorities said.
The two people who died were not students at the university, but the shooter is believed to be a student, Florida State University Police Chief Jason Trumbower.
Five people were being treated at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Trumbower said, and the shooter was also receiving medical attention.
Students and frightened parents hid in a bowling alley and crammed into a freight elevator inside the student union after hearing gunshots outside the building.
Ambulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus just west of Florida's capital after the university issued an active shooter alert midday Thursday, saying police were responding near the student union.
Ryan Cedergren, a 21-year-old communications student, said he and about 30 others hid in the bowling alley in the union's lower level after seeing students running from a nearby bar.
“In that moment, it was survival,” he said.
After about 15 minutes, university police escorted the students out of the building and he saw a person getting emergency treatment on the lawn, he said.
Chris Pento told WCTV in Tallahassee that he and his twins were getting lunch at the student union during a campus tour when they heard gunshots.
“It was surreal. And people just started running,” he told the TV station.
They packed into a service elevator after encountering locked doors at the end of a hallway. “That was probably the scariest point because we didn’t know. It could get worse, right?” he said. “The doors opened and two officers were there, guns drawn.”
Florida State’s alert system announced about three hours after the shooting that law enforcement had "neutralized the threat." Officials asked students and faculty to avoid the student union and other areas still considered an active crime scene.
Dozens of patrol vehicles, including a forensics van, were parked outside the student union. Officers blocked off the area with crime scene tape.
Students and staff who left behind phones, keys and other items in the rush to evacuate waited in the shade and prayed for the victims.
President Donald Trump said from the Oval Office that he had been fully briefed on the shooting. “It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place,” he said.
After receiving warnings of an active shooter, students and faculty took cover and waited in classrooms, offices and dorms across campus.
The first thing you think of is just, ‘This can’t be true,’ right?” said Kai McGalla, a sophomore who spoke by phone while locked down at a campus testing center.
Junior Joshua Sirmans, 20, was in the main library when alarms went off. Law enforcement officers escorted him and other students from the library with their hands over their heads, he said.
Florida State University is one of Florida’s 12 public universities, with its main campus in Tallahassee. About 44,000 students are enrolled in the university, per the school’s 2024 fact sheet.
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 all classes and events for Thursday. It also canceled home athletic events through Sunday.
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Multiple victims were reported in a shooting Thursday at Florida State University and a suspect was taken into police custody, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The extent of the victims’ injuries was not immediately known and there were no additional details about the person who was in custody.
The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.
Police and FBI were on scene at the university.
Here's the latest:
FSU cancels classes through Friday
Florida State University is canceling classes through Friday, which is two weeks before the university’s scheduled commencement ceremony for graduates on May 2 to 3.
The university’s official finals week per its academic calendar are scheduled to start April 28.
University lifts lockdown
FSU’s alert system announced shortly after 3 p.m. that law enforcement had “neutralized the threat."
Officials are asking students and faculty to avoid the Student Union and several other areas that are still considered an active crime scene. People are otherwise free to move about the campus.
‘It was a bit of a surreal moment’
Jake Nair, a senior at Florida State University, was studying in the library when a police officer dashed out of the building, yelling for everyone to stay in place.
“He ran outside with his gun out,” Nair said. “Not all the students heard him, and some of them ran out the back of the library.”
Nair said an alarm in the library then went off and a recorded message warned students to shelter in place because of an active shooter on campus.
Then about five officers came into the library and escorted the students out with their hands up.
“I think they just wanted to make sure none of us had a weapon on us,” Nair said. “To be honest, it was a bit of a surreal moment. It’s the kind of thing you only see on the news.”
The county medical examiner’s office has no updates at this time
An office employee for the Leon County Medical Examiner’s office declined to release information on whether any deaths had been reported to their office at this time, noting that the investigation is still ongoing.
This isn't the first shooting at FSU
For some Florida State University faculty and staffers who have been on campus for the past dozen years, Thursday’s events brought back memories of another shooting at the school’s main library more than a decade ago.
Three people in 2014 were shot just outside and inside the entrance of Strozier Library in the middle of FSU’s campus. Officers who arrived within two minutes of the first call shot and killed the gunman, 31-year-old Myron May.
Three bullets struck 21-year-old student Farhan “Ronny” Ahmed, including a shot that severely damaged his spine and left him paralyzed from the waist down. The other two victims were library employee Nathan Scott who was shot in the leg and later released from the hospital and a student who was grazed by a bullet.
May, a 2005 FSU graduate and an attorney, reloaded at least once and tried to enter the library, but was blocked by lobby security barriers. Police responded and fired off a barrage of bullets that killed him.
Videos and a journal obtained by police indicate May thought he was being watched and targeted by the government.
Nearby Florida A&M University cancels classes
Florida A&M University, a university minutes away from Florida State University in Tallahassee, announced Thursday afternoon that classes and student activities are canceled for the rest of the day, in response to the shooting.
Employees have the option to work remotely for the rest of the day.
‘We didn’t know — it could get worse, right?’
Chris Pento told Tallahassee TV station WCTV that he was on campus Thursday for a tour with his twins and that they were inside the student union getting lunch when they heard gunshots.
“It was surreal. And people just started running,” he told the TV station.
Pento said he and several others crammed into a service elevator after first encountering locked doors at the end of a hallway.
“That was probably the scariest point because we didn’t know — it could get worse, right?” he said. “The doors opened, and two officers were there, guns drawn.”
He said the officers asked if they’d seen anything and then pointed them to safety.
‘It’s so hard to believe'
Kai McGalla, an FSU sophomore studying finance and Spanish, was taking a test on Excel spreadsheets at a testing center on campus when he started to hear sirens headed to the student union about a 20-minute walk away. The test proctor told them they were being locked down at the center because of the shooting.
“I’m in shock, you know, it’s so hard to believe,” McGalla said by phone while still locked down at the testing center. “The first thing you think of is just, ‘This can’t be true,’ right?”
Florida State cancels all home athletic events through Sunday
The canceled events include three baseball and three softball games.
It’s not immediately clear if FSU teams scheduled for road events will also see their games canceled or postponed.
‘In that moment, it was survival’
Ryan Cedergren, a 21-year-old communications student, said he and about 30 others hid in the bowling alley in the lower level of the student union after seeing students running from a nearby bar.
“In that moment, it was survival,” Cedergren said.
After about 15 minutes of hiding, university police escorted the students out of the union, and Cedergren said he saw a person receiving emergency treatment on the lawn.
Trump has been ‘fully briefed’
The president opened his Oval Office meeting with the Italian prime minister with comments on the shooting at Florida State University.
Trump said he had been “fully briefed.”
“It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place,” he said.
What to know about FSU
Florida State University is one of Florida’s 12 public universities, with its main campus located in Tallahassee, where the shooting occurred, just minutes from the state Capitol building. About 44,300 students are enrolled in the university, per the school’s 2024 fact sheet.
At least six people have been hospitalized
One person is in critical condition, a spokesperson for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said. The other patients are in serious condition, the spokesperson said.
A suspect has been taken into police custody
A suspect has been taken into police custody and multiple victims were reported in a shooting Thursday at Florida State University, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The extent of the victims’ injuries was not immediately known and there were no additional details about the person who was in custody.
The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.
By Mike Balsamo
FBI agents are on the scene, officials say
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post that the Justice Department is in touch with FBI agents who are on the scene.
“Our priority is the safety of everyone involved,” Bondi wrote on X. “We will keep updating as we learn more. Praying for all.”
In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel said that he and his team had been briefed on the shooting and that agents from the bureau’s Jacksonville field office were at the school. “We will provide full support to local law enforcement as needed,” Patel said. “Please keep the FSU community in your prayers.”
Governor responds to active shooting
“Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding,” Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote on X.
Scene on campus
Ambulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus after the university issued an active shooter alert midday Thursday, saying police were responding near the student union.
Hundreds of students streamed away from the direction of the student union. Students were glued to their phones, some visibly emotional, while others hugged each other. Dozens gathered near the music school, waiting for news.
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Multiple victims were reported in a shooting Thursday at Florida State University and a suspect was taken into police custody, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The extent of the victims’ injuries was not immediately known and there were no additional details about the person in custody, according to the person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
At least six people were being treated, including one person who was in critical condition, a spokesperson for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said. The other patients were in serious condition, the spokesperson said.
Authorities had not yet released details about the suspect or how the shooting unfolded.
Ambulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus that sits just west of Florida's state capital after the university issued an active shooter alert midday Thursday, saying police were responding near the student union.
Ryan Cedergren, a 21-year-old communications student, said he and about 30 others hid in the bowling alley in the lower level of the student union after seeing students running from a nearby bar.
“In that moment, it was survival,” he said.
After about 15 minutes of hiding, university police escorted the students out of the union and he saw a person getting emergency treatment on the lawn, he said.
Hundreds of students streamed away from the student union. Some were glued to their phones while others hugged each other. Dozens gathered near the music school waiting for news.
President Donald Trump said from the Oval Office that he had been fully briefed on the shooting. “It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this takes place,” he said.
Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote on X: “Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding.”
Junior Joshua Sirmans, 20, was in the university’s main library when he said alarms began going off warning of an active shooter. Law enforcement officers escorted him and other students from the library with their hands over their heads, he said.
Students and faculty across the campus were locked down in classrooms and sheltered in offices and dorm rooms after receiving the warnings.
“I’m in shock, you know, it’s so hard to believe,” said Kai McGalla, a sophomore who spoke by phone while locked down at a campus testing center. “The first thing you think of is just, ‘This can’t be true,’ right?”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post that the Justice Department was in touch with FBI agents who were on the scene.
Florida State University is one of Florida’s 12 public universities, with its main campus in Tallahassee. About 44,000 students are enrolled in the university, per the school’s 2024 fact sheet.
Back 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 all classes and events for Thursday, advising everyone to avoid coming to the main campus. It also canceled all home athletic events through Sunday.
___
Fischer reported from Fort Lauderdale. Associated Press reporters Stephany Matat in West Palm Beach, Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Michael Schneider in Orlando, Mike Balsamo in New York, Eric Tucker and Christopher Megerian in Washington, and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A suspect has been taken into police custody and multiple victims were reported in a shooting at Florida State University, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The extent of the victims’ injuries was not immediately known and there were no additional details about the person who was in custody.
The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.
Police and FBI were on scene at the university. Students and faculty were instructed to continue to seek shelter and await further instructions.
Trump has been ‘fully briefed’
The president opened his Oval Office meeting with the Italian prime minister with comments on the shooting at Florida State University.
Trump said he had been “fully briefed.”
“It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place.”
What to know about FSU
Florida State University is one of Florida’s 12 public universities, with its main campus located in Tallahassee, where the shooting occurred, just minutes from the state Capitol building. About 44,300 students are enrolled in the university, per the school’s 2024 fact sheet.
At least six people have been hospitalized
One person is in critical condition, a spokesperson for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said. The other patients are in serious condition, the spokesperson said.
A suspect has been taken into police custody
A suspect has been taken into police custody and multiple victims were reported in a shooting Thursday at Florida State University, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The extent of the victims’ injuries was not immediately known and there were no additional details about the person who was in custody.
The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.
By Mike Balsamo
FBI agents are on the scene, officials say
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post that the Justice Department is in touch with FBI agents who are on the scene.
“Our priority is the safety of everyone involved,” Bondi wrote on X. “We will keep updating as we learn more. Praying for all.”
In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel said that he and his team had been briefed on the shooting and that agents from the bureau’s Jacksonville field office were at the school. “We will provide full support to local law enforcement as needed,” Patel said. “Please keep the FSU community in your prayers.”
Governor responds to active shooting
“Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding,” Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote on X.
Scene on campus
Ambulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus after the university issued an active shooter alert midday Thursday, saying police were responding near the student union.
Hundreds of students streamed away from the direction of the student union. Students were glued to their phones, some visibly emotional, while others hugged each other. Dozens gathered near the music school, waiting for news.
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A shooting Thursday on the Florida State University campus sent an unknown number of people to a nearby hospital, a medical center spokesperson said.
Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare was receiving and treating people affected by the shooting, said Sarah Cannon, a hospital spokesperson. She said the hospital cannot yet confirm the number of people in care, and said the details are still unfolding.
Ambulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus midday Thursday after the university issued an active shooter alert near the student union.
Hundreds of students streamed away from the direction of the student union. Students were glued to their phones, some visibly emotional.
Junior Joshua Sirmans, 20, was in the university’s main library when he said alarms began going off warning of an active shooter. Sirmans said law enforcement officers escorted him and other students out of the library with their hands over their heads.
FBI officials are on scene, a spokesperson said.
Students and faculty were instructed to seek shelter and await further instructions.
“Lock and stay away from all doors and windows and be prepared to take additional protective measures,” the alert said.