Florida State University students were victims in an open shooting tragedy on campus, April 17th, 2025. An average day walking on campus, going to your usual classes, walking to the food court, could forever change a student’s life. On Thursday at 11:50AM near the student union building, the first shots were fired on campus.
The gunman, 20 year old FSU student Phoenix Ikner, opened fire around 11:56 a.m. Eastern time, resulting in two deaths and at least five injuries. The victims who tragically passed away were Robert Morales, a University dining coordinator, and Tiru Chabba, an executive for food service. Both fatalities were not FSU students. Morales formerly was an assistant football coach at Leon High School, where he showed true “dedication, integrity, and a true passion for mentoring young athletes,” Leon High Athletics said in a statement. Tiru Chabba is a 45-year-old husband and father of 2 young children. “Chabba’s family is going through the unimaginable now,” their family attorney Bakari Sellers said in a statement. “Instead of hiding Easter eggs and visiting with friends and family, they’re living a nightmare.”
Phoenix Ikner is the son of a long-serving Leon County Sheriff’s Office deputy. Reports say he learned gun handling from his stepmother, Jessica Ikner, a deputy with the sheriff’s office. Ikner had access to firearms, including the one he used in the attack, which was traced back to his stepmother’s personal collection. He had been prescribed medication for emotional dysregulation but had reportedly stopped taking it prior to the shooting. Investigators are determining whether this may have contributed to the violence.
Florida State University and Tallahassee police officers responded quickly to the scene after students called, reporting, “A man just pulled a gun out and started shooting whoever was closest.” An FSU student who saw the shooter described him as a “normal college dude” who was wearing an orange T-shirt and khaki shorts. “I was walking, and this guy pulls up in an orange Hummer,” the student said. “And he gets out with a rifle and shoots in my direction.”
When law enforcement encountered Ikner, he refused commands and was shot and wounded by law enforcement. He was hospitalized with significant but non-life threatening injuries and is facing multiple charges, like first degree murder, once he is released from the hospital unit. In the aftermath, FSU canceled all classes and events for the remainder of the week.
