What to know about the shooting at Florida State University

Two people were killed and six others were wounded when a gunman opened fire at Florida State University, and police said a 20-year-old suspect — the stepson of a sheriff's deputy — was shot and taken into custody.

The university issued an active shooter alert at midday Thursday near the university's student union. A campus lockdown was lifted shortly after 3 p.m. when Florida State’s alert system announced that law enforcement had “neutralized the threat.”

Students and staff on Friday were allowed into buildings near the shooting to retrieve their belongings, which police ordered left behind in the immediate chaotic aftermath.

Geology major Josh Jontiff collected his backpack containing his laptop and other materials from his calculus class a few hundred yards (meters) from the shooting scene.

When projector screens in the classroom flashed a message about an active shooter on Thursday, “we all filed to one side of the room and turned the lights off,” Jontiff said.

Police officers with guns drawn then banged on the door and led the group outside with their hands on their heads.

“It was a very scary situation," Jontiff said. “I tried to keep calm and keep others around me calm.”

On Friday, a steady stream of students and others brought flowers, balloons, teddy bears and candles to a memorial near the student union. Among them were three members of the Florida State women’s volleyball team who held hands in a brief prayer circle.

“I don’t think any words can do it justice,” said Audrey Rothman, a junior.

Brooke Poppe, a freshman, said she was lifting weights in a gym when she heard the gunshots, then blaring sirens. They were locked down in the gym for hours. “It was really scary,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve fully processed what happened yet.”

A small group of FSU students have endured both Thursday’s shooting as well as the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

A few miles from campus, Bethel Missionary Baptist Church began a Good Friday service with prayers for the shooting victims and families. The Rev. R.B. Holmes said he visited victims at the hospital with Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey, who attended the service.

“We’re not going to emphasize the tragedy,” Holmes said. “We’re going to emphasize hope and healing. Our faith says we shall overcome. I said to the students we will be there for them.”

During a packed evening vigil, university President Richard McCullough called for a moment of silence for the victims and the campus community.

“These have been some of the hardest days that Florida State University has ever faced," McCullough said. "This terrible act of violence shook our community. This kind of tragedy shouldn’t happen. Not here. Not anywhere. We are heartbroken.

“We will carry this loss with us. We’ll carry it together. But we will move forward."

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday ordered U.S. and Florida flags statewide to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Monday in memory of the “lives lost in this tragedy and to recognize the bravery shown by the first responders."

One of the two who died was Robert Morales, who helped run campus dining services, according to university senior vice president Kyle Clark.

Morales developed innovative menus, especially Cuban food, Clark said at the campus vigil. He was also a former assistant football coach at nearby Leon High School.

The other was Tiru Chabba, 45, a married father of two children from Greenville, South Carolina, who worked for a food service vendor, according to Michael Wukela, a spokesman for attorneys hired by the family.

Medical staff who treated the injured at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said at a news conference that all six patients are expected to make full recoveries. They said two patients are expected to be discharged Friday.

Three patients have been upgraded to good condition and one patient remains in fair condition. The hospital did not clarify the condition of the shooter, who police officials said Thursday was being treated at a local hospital.

Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil identified the suspect as Phoenix Ikner, the stepson of a sheriff’s deputy within his department. McNeil said the deputy's former service weapon was used in the shooting and found at the scene.

McNeil said Ikner was a long-standing member of the sheriff’s office’s youth advisory council and engaged in a number of training programs with the office. He added that the suspect's stepmother has been with the sheriff's office 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.

The university confirmed Friday that Ikner was a student enrolled for the spring 2025 semester after transferring from Tallahassee State College, where he earned an associates degree last fall. He was a junior studying political science, FSU spokeswoman Amy Farnum-Patronis said via email.

Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the shooting.

When Ikner was a child, his parents were involved in several custody disputes with his biological mother, court records show.

In 2015, when he was 10, his biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, said she was taking him to South Florida for spring break in 2015 but instead traveled to Norway. After returning to the U.S., she pleaded no contest to removing a minor from the state against a court order and was sentenced to 200 days in jail. She later moved to vacate her plea, but that was denied.

In the fall of that same year, Eriksen filed a civil libel-slander complaint against Jessica Ikner, along with several other family members. The complaint, which was later dismissed, accused them of harassing Eriksen and abusing Ikner’s position at the sheriff’s office.

In 2020, at age 15, the suspect received court approval to change his name from Christian Eriksen to Phoenix Ikner, court documents show. His old name was a constant reminder of a “tragedy” he suffered, in the words of administrative magistrate James Banks, who approved the request, NBC News reported.

Banks observed that Ikner was a “mentally, emotionally and physically mature young adult who is very articulate” and “very polite” said he chose the new name as a representation of “rising from the ashes anew.”

When the shooting happened, Deputy Jessica Ikner of the Leon County Sheriff's Office was 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away at Raa Middle School, where she was on duty as a school resource officer. A sheriff’s office spokesperson said Ikner worked to secure the campus to prevent anyone from entering as Raa went into “lockout mode,” along with all of the county’s public schools.

As of Friday, the deputy was reassigned to the sheriff’s office’s property crimes unit, spokesperson Shonda Knight told The Associated Press. Following the shooting, Ikner requested and was granted personal leave.

Associated Press writers Kate Payne and Curt Anderson in Tallahassee, David Fischer and Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Stephany Matat in West Palm Beach, Michael Schneider in Orlando, Mike Balsamo in New York, Eric Tucker and Christopher Megerian in Washington, and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

A student mourns during a vigil on the Florida State campus at Langford Green, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

A student mourns during a vigil on the Florida State campus at Langford Green, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025, after a school shooting the day before. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The day after an active shooter on campus Florida State held a vigil on campus at Langford Green, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The day after an active shooter on campus Florida State president Richard McCullough addresses a vigil on campus at Langford Green, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The day after an active shooter on campus Florida State president Richard McCullough addresses a vigil on campus at Langford Green, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The day after an active shooter on campus Florida State students place electronic candles on a platform during a vigil on campus at Langford Green, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

A student mourns during a vigil on the Florida State campus at Langford Green, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Flags flown at half-staff near the Florida State Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Flowers placed by students sit next to a sign for the Florida State Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Flowers placed by students sit near police tape near the Florida State Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey addresses the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church congregation about the shooting at Florida State University before a Good Friday service, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

A student places flowers near the Florida State Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

A student places a candle near the Florida State Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Students carry flowers near the Florida State Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

A sign that reads "Forever Stands Unconquered," is placed among flowers near the Florida State Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

A student places heart-shaped balloons near the Florida State Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Students wait to retrieve their personal items from the Florida State Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Students place flowers on a stretch of sidewalk near the center of the Florida State campus in sight of the Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Students gather on a stretch of sidewalk near the center of the Florida State campus in sight of the Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Students leave after retrieving their personal items from the Florida State Student Union, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Students gather on a stretch of sidewalk near the center of the Florida State campus in sight of the Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Law enforcement officers gather after a shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The Florida State University Student Union building and surrounding roads are blocked by law enforcement vehicles, Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The Florida State Student Union building is seen behind law enforcement vehicles in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The Florida State Student Union building is seen behind law enforcement vehicles in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The Florida State Student Union building is seen behind law enforcement vehicles in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The Florida State Student Union building is seen behind law enforcement vehicles in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The Florida State Student Union building is seen behind law enforcement vehicles in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

A Florida State University sign is displayed in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The Florida State Student Union building is seen behind law enforcement vehicles in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

The Florida State Student Union building is seen behind law enforcement vehicles in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Dozens of patrol vehicles, including a forensics van, are stationed outside of Florida State University’s student union building, the scene of a shooting, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

Dozens of patrol vehicles, including a forensics van, are stationed outside of Florida State University’s student union building, the scene of a shooting, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

Dozens of patrol vehicles, including a forensics van, are stationed outside of Florida State University’s student union building, the scene of a shooting, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

Dozens of patrol vehicles, including a forensics van, are stationed outside of Florida State University’s student union building, the scene of a shooting, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

Florida State University students wait for news amid an active shooter incident at the school’s campus in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

Florida State University students wait for news amid an active shooter incident at the school’s campus in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

Florida State University students wait for news amid an active shooter incident at the school’s campus in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

Florida State University students wait for news amid an active shooter incident at the school’s campus in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

People comfort each other on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee, where law enforcement responded to a reported active shooter incident Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

Embattled Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who was convicted of obstruction last month for helping an immigrant evade federal officers, has sent her resignation letter to the governor.

The letter was sent Saturday. Republicans had been making plans to impeach her ever since her Dec. 19 conviction. A spokesperson for Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, said his office received Dugan's letter, and he would work to fill the vacancy without delay.

Dugan wrote that over the past decade she handled thousands of cases with “a commitment to treat all persons with dignity and respect, to act justly, deliberately and consistently, and to maintain a courtroom with the decorum and safety the public deserves.”

But she said the case against her is too big of a distraction.

“As you know, I am the subject of unprecedented federal legal proceedings, which are far from concluded but which present immense and complex challenges that threaten the independence of our judiciary. I am pursuing this fight for myself and for our independent judiciary,” Dugan said in her letter.

Last April, federal prosecutors accused Dugan of distracting federal officers trying to arrest a Mexican immigrant outside her courtroom and leading the man out through a private door. A federal jury convicted her of felony obstruction.

The case against Dugan was highlighted by President Donald Trump as he pressed ahead with his sweeping immigration crackdown. Democrats insisted the administration was trying to make an example of Dugan to blunt judicial opposition to the operation.

Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos praised Dugan's decision.

“I’m glad Dugan did the right thing by resigning and followed the clear direction from the Wisconsin Constitution," Vos said.

Democrat Ann Jacobs, who is chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission board, said she agreed with Dugan that Milwaukee should have a permanent judge in place while this fight plays out.

“Despite her situation, she is ever the champion of justice, wanting to remove the judiciary from a political battle over her fate. I’m sure this is terribly hard for her but she is true to her faith and her principles,” Jacobs said in a post on X.

On April 18, immigration officers went to the Milwaukee County courthouse after learning 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan for a hearing in a state battery case.

Dugan confronted agents outside her courtroom and directed them to the office of her boss, Milwaukee County Chief Judge Carl Ashley, because she told them their administrative warrant wasn’t sufficient grounds to arrest Flores-Ruiz.

After the agents left, she led Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a private jury door. Agents spotted Flores-Ruiz in the corridor, followed him outside and arrested him after a foot chase. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in November he had been deported.

FILE - Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan leaves the federal courthouse after a hearing Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Andy Manis, File)