Two people died and six were injured after a gunman opened fire at Florida State University (FSU) on Thursday.

The Context

Officials have identified 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a student at FSU, as the suspected shooter. Ikner is the stepson of Leon County deputy sheriff Jessica Ikner whose former service weapon was used in the shooting.

Police took Phoenix Ikner into custody and he invoked his right not to speak with law enforcement, officials said.

What To Know

As of Friday afternoon, the two people who died in the shooting have been identified. Neither were FSU students.

Family members of one victim who died identified him as 57-year-old Robert Morales.

Morales’ older brother, Ricardo, confirmed his death in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

“Today we lost my younger Brother, He was one of the victims killed at FSU,” Ricardo Morales Jr. wrote. “He loved his job at FSU and his beautiful Wife and Daughter. I’m glad you were in my Life.”

Morales Jr. also included two family photos in the post. He also wrote that one of them showed Robert Morales with his father and the other showed Robert and Ricardo Jr. with their brother, sister, grandmother and cousin.

According to CBS News, Morales was a food service worker at FSU.

The second victim who died was identified on Friday afternoon by attorneys representing his family.

According to an email sent to Newsweek by The Strom Law Firm, the second victim was 45-year-old Tiru Chabba, a resident of Greenville, South Carolina.

Chabba was an employee for a campus vendor, the family’s lawyers said. He is survived by his wife and two children.

The names of those who were injured in the shooting have not yet been released.

Ikner is also currently hospitalized, officials said. Police said he did not comply with law enforcement’s commands when they confronted him on Thursday, at which point they shot him.

Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said Friday that the suspected gunman didn’t have any known connection to the victims of the shooting.

FSU students and others who were on or near the scene gave harrowing details about what they witnessed.

McKenzie Heeter, a junior at FSU, told CNN she saw the gunman shoot a woman wearing purple scrubs in the back.

“And I just started running,” Heeter said as she became emotional. “I ran a mile all the way to my apartment, but I kept hearing shots firing…pretty much…the cops were there before I even made it home, but it was a good 20 seconds as I was running that was just shot-after-shot-after-shot.”

She added: “I really just want to find out about the woman in the purple scrubs and if she’s OK. I want everybody to know what happened. But really, I just can’t stop thinking about the woman because I know she wasn’t a student and she was wearing scrubs.”

Doctors at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said on Thursday that they were treating six people, not including the suspected gunman. They later confirmed that they expect all six to recover from their injuries.

What People Are Saying

Ricardo Morales Jr. wrote on X: “You deserved better Robert. Thank you for being in my life.”

Bakari Sellers, a civil rights lawyer at The Strom Law Firm, told Newsweek in a statement: “Tiru Chabba’s family is going through the unimaginable now. Instead of hiding Easter eggs and visiting with friends and family, they’re living a nightmare where this loving father and devoted husband was stolen from them in an act of senseless and preventable violence.”

Leon County Sheriff Walter A. McNeil said at a news conference on Thursday: “Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons and that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene.”

Richard McCullough, the president of FSU, said in a statement Thursday night: “All of us at Florida State are hurting. But we grieve together, and we will heal together.”

What Happens Next?

Police are still investigating the gunman’s motive, as well as if he had access to any more of his stepmother’s firearms. Revell said the suspect will need a significant amount of time to recover from his injuries after which he’ll be transferred to a detention facility.

The police chief said the suspect will face several charges, including first-degree murder.

The FSU community has planned a vigil to honor the victims at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Newsweek will continue to update this story as more information about the victims becomes available.