Two dead, five victims hospitalized in Florida campus shooting

UPDATE: Thursday, 5:30pm

A gunman opened fire on the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee on Thursday afternoon and fatally shot two people, FSU Police Chief Jason Trumbower said at a press conference this afternoon. Six more people were injured during the attack, five of whom were hospitalized, Trumbower said. He clarified that the two people killed were not students. Trumbower added that the alleged shooter was also hospitalized and believed to be a student. Authorities would not release any further information about the victims.

What is known about the shooter? Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil identified the suspected shooter as Phoenix Ikner, the 20-year-old son of a deputy in the department. Ikner’s mother held an exceptional record with the department for nearly 20 years, and Ikner served on the office’s youth advisory council, according to McNeil. Ikner was deep in the Leon County Sheriff family, he added. Ikner allegedly used one of his mother’s privately owned guns in the attack, which was later located at the scene, McNeil said. Authorities said Ikner was neutralized by police and taken into custody when he refused to comply with demands. Officials plan to prosecute Ikner to the fullest extent of the law, McNeil added.

Florida State University students wait for news amid an active shooter incident at the school’s campus in Tallahassee, Fla. Associated Press / Photo by Kate Payne

Original story:

Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee remained in lockdown Thursday afternoon after an on-campus shooting earlier in the day left a number of people wounded. An active shooter was reported near the school’s student union around noon, according to school officials. An FSU sports social media fan page unaffiliated with the school posted video that appeared to show armed first responders on campus, with other unverified footage showing what appeared to be an officer detaining someone on the ground. A local journalist on the scene reported multiple injured people were loaded into ambulances and shared video of police appearing to shackle one of the injured. Footage also showed students walking with their hands in the air, filing out of the area. Multiple sources confirmed that a suspect has been taken into custody.

How many people were injured? It is unclear how many people were injured or how many shots were fired. Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare was treating at least six people from the shooting, a hospital spokesperson told the Associated Press. The spokesperson reiterated that the situation was still unfolding, and said the total number of people injured or fatally wounded from the shooting remained unclear.

Both the FBI and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier are investigating the shooting. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement also responded to the shooting and promised to update the public as soon as possible, according to a statement.