Florida State University shooting suspect did not know victims
Apr 19, 2025
Florida [US], April 19: A suspect accused of killing two people and injuring six others during a shooting spree at Florida State University did not know his victims, police said Friday.
The alleged gunman, 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner, began shooting around lunchtime on Thursday near the student union building in Tallahassee. The motive remains unclear.
Police said the gun was owned by his stepmother, Jessica Ikner, a veteran police officer.
In a video statement, Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said: "At this point, there does not appear to be any connection at all between the shooter and any of the victims."
Details about the victims began to emerge Friday. One of two people killed was an employee of food service provider Aramark, the company said on Friday.
Tiru Chabba, 45, of Greenville, South Carolina, was a married father of two, according to a statement from a law firm hired by his family. He was on the Florida campus working Thursday when the shooting began.
"We are heartbroken to confirm that an Aramark employee was among those killed at FSU yesterday in that senseless act of violence," the company, which manages Florida State University's on-campus dining programmes, said in a statement. "We are absolutely shaken by the news and our deepest sympathies are with the family and our entire Aramark community."
The other dead victim, university dining worker Robert Morales, was identified by his sister, who posted a tribute online. His LinkedIn profile said he had been working at FSU as a university dining co-ordinator since 2015.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
