A gunman opened fire at Florida State University Thursday, killing two people and wounding several others.
Police identified the suspected shooter as Phoenix Ikner, 20, the son of a sheriff’s deputy and a possible FSU student.
Here’s what we know about the shooting, the suspect, the victims and how it unfolded.
Where and when did the shooting happen?
The suspect got out of an orange Hummer and opened fire near the student union at 11:50 a.m., police and witnesses have said.
FSU Police Chief Jason Trumbower said the suspect shot multiple people before officers were able to engage, neutralize and apprehend him.
Were there any victims?
At least two people have died, Trumbower said. Six others were injured, with at least five receiving treatment for gunshot wounds in hospitals, the police chief said.
None of the victims’ identities have been released.
Who is the suspected shooter?
Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil identified the suspected gunman Thursday as Phoenix Ikner, 20.
Ikner is the son of a sheriff’s deputy, McNeil said, and is believed to be a student at FSU.
He was a member of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office’s Youth Advisory Council, which made it unsurprising that Ikner had access to weapons, McNeil said.
McKenzie Heeter, a junior at FSU who witnessed the shooting, described him as a “normal college dude.”
The shooter was hospitalized with unspecified injuries, police said Thursday. His condition was not provided.
Reid Seybold, a classmate of Ikner’s, said they were in a political discussion group together when they attended Tallahassee State College. Seybold, the group’s president, said he had to ask Ikner not to return to the club because of his white supremacist views.
What kind of gun was used?
Officials said a gun that belonged to the suspect’s mother was found at the scene.
It was a her former service weapon, which she had purchased and owned, authorities said.
Police said the suspect also had a shotgun with him, but could not confirm whether it was used.
Is there a motive?
Police have not yet identified a motive.
“I don’t know why he would have done something like this,” Seybold, the former classmate, said. “I don’t know where it would have come from, but I’d sure like to find out.”
