FSU shooting latest: Suspected gunman is ‘white supremacist’ Trump supporter with tumultuous childhood

By early Friday, memorials of candles and flowers dotted the Tallahassee campus and a school-wide vigil had been scheduled as college students and college.

We’re listening to extra from college students who have been on campus on the time of the capturing on Thursday lunchtime.

Carolina Sena, a 21-year-old accounting scholar, was inside the scholar union when the capturing began.

“I heard some gunshots after which, , simply blacked out after,” she stated.

“Everybody was crying and simply panicking. We have been attempting to barricade ourselves in somewhat nook within the basement, attempting to guard ourselves as a lot as we might.”

Media shops this morning have reported how Leon Nation courtroom information present the capturing suspect, Phoenix Ikner, modified his identify from Christian Erikson after his organic mom was accused of taking him to Norway when he was 10 years previous.

Now it has emerged {that a} lady claiming to be Ikner’s mom posted concerning the capturing on a Fb now-deleted submit within the hours after the incident, based on MailOnline.

She additionally fumed over a authorized battle she had together with her son’s father, who’s believed to have raised Ikner.

She wrote: “Really feel sorry for everybody at FSU and their children.”

As we’ve reported, the named suspected in yesterday’s capturing, Phoenix Ikner, was a member of the Leon County Sheriff’s Youth Advisory Council.

The council gives “an open line of communication” between younger individuals and native legislation enforcement.

Kenniyah Houston, additionally a member of the youth council, reacted to information of the capturing in an interview with CNN.

She didn’t personally keep in mind Ikner. She stated the advisory council targeted on enhancing the neighborhood and legislation enforcement.

She stated: “That’s what it was all about – making higher choices. For one thing like this to occur from somebody in a gaggle like that’s scary … it’s devastating.”

The suspect within the capturing on the Tallahassee campus of Florida State College on Thursday was named by police as Phoenix Ikner.

The 20-year-old scholar is the son of an area sheriff’s deputy, authorities say, and was a member of the sheriff’s Youth Advisory Council.

On a now-deleted Instagram account with Ikner’s identify, {a photograph} of him was shared with the biblical quote: “You might be my conflict membership, my weapon for battle; with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms.”

Ikner was wounded by police throughout the capturing on the campus. He’s stated to not be in a life-threatening situation as officers proceed to research what occurred.

As police proceed the investigation into the capturing on the Tallahassee campus of Florida State College, employees have introduced a vigil will probably be held for the 2 male victims, who weren’t college students, on Friday.

The occasion will happen at 5pm at Langford Inexperienced – the identical location the same vigil was held after a capturing on the campus 11 years in the past.

All courses have been cancelled for the day. Late on Thursday, the college launched an announcement: “The coed union and the encircling space continues to be thought-about an energetic crime scene.

“The general public and campus neighborhood ought to keep away from the world. College students shouldn’t return to the scholar union to retrieve private property right now.

“College students might return to their residence halls however they need to in any other case keep indoors on the principle campus to permit legislation enforcement and college employees to do their jobs and reply to these needing help.”

Holden Mendez, a 20-year-old scholar learning political science and worldwide affairs, stated he had simply left the scholar union when he heard a sequence of photographs within the Florida State College campus yesterday lunchtime.

He bumped into a close-by campus constructing, the place he stated his earlier emergency response coaching kicked in.

“There was numerous concern. There was numerous panic. There was numerous misinformation that was being unfold round. I used to be doing my greatest to type of fight that,” he stated.

“I informed individuals, ‘Take a deep breath. This constructing is safe. Every part goes to be okay.'”

Andres Perez, 20, was in a classroom close to the scholar union when the alarm sounded for a lockdown.

He stated his classmates started transferring desks in entrance of the door and law enforcement officials got here to escort them out.”

I at all times hand around in the scholar union,” Perez stated. “So the second I came upon that the risk was there, my coronary heart sank and I used to be scared.”

Mass shootings on U.S. college campuses have change into recurring tragedies in recent times.

Thursday’s incident was the second capturing on the FSU campus in 11 years. In 2014, a graduate opened hearth early on the college’s most important library, wounding two college students and an worker as a whole bunch have been learning for exams.

Notable mass shootings at different faculties or universities in recent times embody the 2007 Virginia Tech bloodbath in Blacksburg, Virginia, the place 32 individuals have been killed and 23 injured.

In 2023, there have been two school mass shootings, one at Michigan State College, the place three college students have been killed and not less than 5 others injured.

The opposite incident unfolded on the College of Nevada, Las Vegas, the place three college members have been killed earlier than a suspect died in a shootout with the police.

Following yesterday’s capturing at Florida State College’s Tallahassee campus, we’ve since been listening to from among the college students who have been instructed to remain in shelter.

Emily Palmer, 21, was subsequent to the scholar union when the capturing occurred, she informed CNN.

“I’m shaking … It’s only a lot occurring,” Palmer stated.

“I’m involved about my pals. I’ve pals at school proper who’re getting evacuated by police with their palms up.”

Paula Maldonado informed ABC News she was at school when the risk alarm went off and the sounded of yelling broke out exterior.

“Everybody in my class rapidly turned off the lights, put desks to dam off the door and hid by the entrance of the classroom,” she stated.

“A cop got here inside and I believed it was the shooter, so it was very scary. However after a few minutes one other copy got here again in and informed us to go exterior with our palms up.”