TALLAHASSEE, FL (AP) – Two people were killed and at least six others were wounded Thursday when a gunman opened fire at Florida State University. Police said a 20-year-old suspect — the son of a sheriff’s deputy — was shot and taken into custody.
The university issued an active shooter alert near the student union around midday. By midafternoon, Florida State’s alert system announced law enforcement had “neutralized the threat.”
Some students and parents hid in a bowling alley and packed into a freight elevator inside the student union after hearing gunshots around 11:50 a.m. ET. Emergency vehicles from multiple agencies rushed toward campus.
Hundreds of students fled the area, many visibly shaken. The university urged students and staff to shelter in place and await instructions.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said officers arrived quickly and shot the suspect after he refused commands. Revell noted the suspect did not fire at officers and has since refused to speak with police.
A lockdown was lifted shortly after 3 p.m., but the student union and nearby areas remained active crime scenes. Students and faculty were otherwise allowed to move about campus.
Crime scene tape and dozens of patrol vehicles, including a forensics van, remained outside the student union. Florida State canceled all classes and university events through Friday, with athletic events suspended through Sunday.
The two people killed were not students, according to Florida State University Police Chief Jason Trumbower. At least six people were being treated at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, along with the suspect.
A hospital spokesperson said one patient was in critical condition, and others were in serious condition. The extent of injuries was not immediately known.
Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil identified the suspect as Phoenix Ikner, the son of a sheriff’s deputy. The weapon used in the shooting was the deputy’s former service weapon and was recovered at the scene.
McNeil said Ikner had been part of the sheriff’s youth advisory council and participated in training programs. His mother has worked with the department for over 18 years.
“We will make sure that we do everything we can to prosecute and make sure that we send a message to folks that this will never be tolerated here in Leon County, and I dare say across the state and across this nation,” McNeil said.
Trumbower said Ikner is believed to be an FSU student.