A tragic shooting at Florida State University resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to six others, prompting a lockdown of the Tallahassee campus. The incident unfolded near the student union around lunchtime, sending students into a panic.
The shooter has been identified as Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old student of the university and the son of a sheriff’s deputy. He reportedly used his mother’s former service weapon to open fire before being shot and wounded by responding officers after refusing to comply with their commands. The authorities have yet to disclose a motive for the attack.
The victims of the shooting have been partially identified. Robert Morales, a university employee, and Tiru Chabba, an executive with a food service vendor, were among those killed.
Robert Morales
Robert Morales served as a university dining coordinator at Florida State since 2015. His LinkedIn profile highlights his dedication to his work. His brother, Ricardo Morales Jr., expressed his grief on social media, emphasizing Robert’s love for his family and his job. Robert studied criminology at Florida State during the early 1990s and was also associated with Black Bean Food Group, a business dissolved a decade ago.
The Morales family has a notable history, with their father, Ricardo Morales, being a prominent figure as a Cuban exile turned CIA operative. Known as “Monkey,” the elder Morales was involved in various high-profile operations and was killed in a bar altercation in 1982.
Tiru Chabba
Tiru Chabba, a regional vice president of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality, was on the Florida State campus when he lost his life. Residing in Greenville, South Carolina, Chabba had dedicated over two decades to Aramark. He was a married father of two and held an MBA from The Citadel in South Carolina. His family, represented by attorneys, expressed their profound sorrow, describing the incident as a heartbreaking and senseless act of violence.
The investigation into the shooting continues as the community grapples with the aftermath of this devastating event.