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)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — President Donald Trump was addressing graduating students at the University of Alabama on Thursday, a visit that drew hundreds of protesters to an off-campus rally.

Trump’s remarks in Tuscaloosa are the Republican president’s first address to graduates in his second term and come as he has been celebrating the first 100 days of his administration. The previously scheduled visit came shortly after he announced a shake-up to his national security team, with Mike Waltz being tapped for United Nations ambassador and Secretary of State Marco Rubio taking over Waltz's national security adviser role on an interim basis.

“What a nice looking group this is,” Trump said to open his speech. “There's nowhere I'd rather be than Tuscaloosa.”

Alabama, where Trump won a commanding 64% of the vote in 2024, is where he has staged a number of his trademark large rallies over the past decade. It is also where Trump showed early signs of strength in his first presidential campaign when he began filling stadiums for his rallies.

While Trump has described the speech as a commencement address, it is actually a special event that was created before graduation ceremonies that begin Friday. Graduating students have the option of attending the event.

Former Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban also spoke, regaling the audience with a story about visiting the Oval Office in 2018 during Trump's first term. Saban said Trump was a gracious host.

Ahead of the president's arrival, cap-and-gown-wearing graduates and their families began filing into the arena where Trump was set to speak. Many seemed excited about the prospect of seeing him in person.

Emily Appel, a 22-year-old advertising major from Norcross, Georgia, called Trump's appearance at their school “a cherry on top” of her college years.

“I think it’s such an honor, no matter who the president is. I think this is a huge honor to have the president of the United States speaking to our school," Appel said.

She called Trump a “very influential person” and said she hoped he had a message to share that was "positive about us being able to work in the real world and for our future.”

Sophie Best, who is graduating with a communications degree, said, “I don’t think that we could have had a greater person come to speak."

The 21-year-old from Cartersville, Georgia, said she attended Trump's first presidential inauguration in 2017 when she was a freshman in high school, along with her father, who she said loves Trump.

“I think that no matter what political party or whatever you believe in, I think that it’s super cool that we get to experience and make history and be a part of this,” she said.

At a park several miles away, hundreds of people gathered at a counter rally hosted by College Democrats. One-time presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke of Texas and former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama, addressed the rally, called a “Tide Against Trump” — a play on the university’s nickname.

Aidan Meyers, a 21-year-old junior studying biology at the university, said he felt betrayed by the decision to let Trump speak at a graduation-related event.

“I felt betrayed that the university was willing to put up with someone who has made it clear that they hate academia, essentially holding funding above universities' heads as a bargaining chip, unless they bow down to what he wants, which is kind of a hallmark sign with fascist regime,” Meyers said.

He said he also feels betrayed by the administration’s stance on science and research. A fellowship he was seeking at the National Institutes of Health was canceled because of the federal hiring freeze, he said.

O'Rourke told the rally that Trump was trying to make the students’ graduation “all about him, true to form.” He urged students and others gathered to go out and use their voices to “win America back.”

“The power of people works in this country, even against Donald Trump,” O’Rourke said.

Jones told the crowd they were there “not just as a protest, but as a movement.”

“You are here today because you’re concerned, you’re afraid. You understand that this country’s great democracy is teetering right now with what we’re seeing going on,” the former senator said.

Ahead of the rally, O'Rourke praised the students who invited him as “inspiring” and said their efforts in a Republican-dominated state like Alabama are an example for the rest of the country.

“You cannot be too red or too rural or too Republican to be written off right now. You also can't be too blue or too liberal to be taken for granted,” O’Rourke told The Associated Press after arriving in Tuscaloosa. “You've got to show up absolutely everywhere. We truly are in crisis.”

Trump’s presence has also drawn criticism from the Alabama NAACP, which said his policies are hurting universities and students, particularly students of color.

Trump's visit to Alabama is his second trip this week. He held a rally in Michigan on Tuesday to mark 100 days in office.

Outside of weekend trips for personal visits, the president has not made many official trips since taking office on Jan. 20. He usually speaks to the public from the impromptu news conferences he holds in the Oval Office and at other events at the White House.

After his stop in Alabama, Trump is scheduled to travel to Florida for a long weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Later this month, he is scheduled to give the commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.

Associated Press writer Bill Barrow contributed to this report from Atlanta.

President Donald Trump walks with Air Force Col. Angela Ochoa, Commander of the 89th Airlift Wing from Marine One to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route Tuscaloosa National Airport, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)