Everything that we know about the FSU mass shooting
Two people were killed and six others were injured after an armed student stormed Florida State University's campus in Tallahassee on Thursday, authorities confirmed.
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare confirmed Friday that two patients were expected to be discharged, three others have improved and were in good condition, and one remained in fair condition, according to a Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare spokesperson.
The gunman, believed to be 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner, was shot by police on campus, taken into custody, and transported to the hospital as well, police said.
Here's everything we know so far.
FSU campus in chaos: the shooting's timeline
According to FSU, police responded to the active shooter call from the area of the campus student union around 12:01 p.m.
"Police are on scene or on the way," the alert said. "Continue to seek shelter and await further instructions. Lock and stay away from all doors and windows and be prepared to take additional protective measures."
According to police, the gunman began to fire on the main campus around 11:50 a.m., shooting at multiple individuals and killing two people, who were not students, police said.
Across campus, police escorted students and staff to the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, which was established as a student reunification point.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence E. Revell said FSU campus police were on scene and engaged with the alleged gunman "almost immediately."
"[A] very seamless response to this tragedy," he said.
FSU's alert system continued, advising everyone on campus to continue sheltering in place as police investigated.
The FSU campus had been secured by authorities around 3:15 p.m., Tallahassee Police confirmed.
Revell said Tallahassee Police will be the lead agency to investigate the FSU shooting and the shooting between the officer and the alleged gunman.
2 victims dead, 6 others injured
In a Thursday press conference, officials said there were a total of eight victims: two people were killed, while five people and the alleged gunman were hospitalized. A sixth victim was injured while fleeing the scene.
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare told CBS News Miami that they had received six patients — one in critical condition and the others listed in serious condition. The hospital said all patients were in fair condition as of around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
On Friday morning, TMH said two patients are expected to be discharged, while three others have improved and are in good condition, and one remains in fair condition.
Authorities have not released the names of any victims. However, family members have identified the victims as Robert Morales, a university dining worker, and Tiru Chabba, a campus vendor.
Morales was 57 years old. His death was confirmed by his brother, Ricardo Morales Jr., in a post on social media Thursday night.
"Today we lost my younger brother," he wrote. "He was one of the victims killed at FSU. He loved his job at FSU and his beautiful wife and daughter. I'm glad you were in my life."
Ricardo Morales Jr. also confirmed his brother's death to CBS News Miami.
Tiru Chabba, a 45-year-old father of two, was also killed in the shooting, according to a law firm representing the family.
Chabba was on the FSU campus Thursday for his job as an employee of a campus vendor when the gunman opened fire, attorney Bakari Sellers of the Strom Law Firm said in a statement on Friday afternoon.
Chabba is survived by his wife and two children.
The suspect was a deputy's child
Ikner, the suspected gunman and a current student at FSU, is also the stepson of a Leon County Sheriff's deputy, officials confirmed.
According to Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil, the 20-year-old man is the stepson of one of his deputies, saying his mother has been with the force for 18 years and that he was involved in the sheriff's office programs. The alleged shooter also used his stepmother's former service weapon — now a personal handgun — which was found at the scene.
"Not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons," McNeil said.
According to Revell, the suspect also had a shotgun with him during the shooting but could not confirm whether it was used.
At this time, McNeil said his agency will investigate further into the circumstances of how the alleged shooter obtained his deputy's gun and whether there will be any suspensions or terminations made.
Revell added that there is no reason at this time to believe he hadn't acted alone and that there are no current threats to the community.
In a video statement Friday, Revell said there is no known connection between the suspect and any of the victims.
He said the suspect was seriously injured and will require a significant amount of time in the hospital. He will then be transferred to a detention facility and face charges including first-degree murder.
A multi-agency response in Tallahassee
Multiple agencies have responded to the scene, including campus police and other Tallahassee area agencies, including the Leon County Sheriff's Office. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said state law enforcement was responding to the shooting.
Additionally, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI's Jacksonville and Tallahassee offices are on the scene to assist.
The FBI said in Thursday's press conference that the agency has established a digital tipline to help law enforcement with the investigation. If anyone has any information, they can submit their tips to fbi.gov/fsushooting. The FBI also said it is ensuring that all resources needed are brought to the community.
Revell said he and the other law enforcement officers who responded to the scene will try to remain open and transparent in collaboration with the State Attorney's Office to get to the bottom of the "very horrific incident."
FSU cancels all classes and university events
FSU shared on social media that all classes and university events, including athletic events, scheduled for Thursday have been canceled.
"Individuals not already on the main campus at this time should avoid coming to the Tallahassee main campus," FSU said.
At Thursday afternoon's press conference, FSU President Richard McCullough added that all classes will be canceled Friday and all university and campus events are canceled through Sunday. He added that the safety and well-being of FSU students and staff are his top priority, and that the school will offer on-site counseling to everyone affected and employee assistance programs for staff working at the time.
"This is a deeply emotional time, but we're all here to support each other," McCullough said. "... we'll get through this together."
McCullough also said that the school is fully cooperating with the investigation, and FSU campus police advised that family members can go to the Tucker Center to pick up their relatives, and loved ones should call each other immediately.
FSU students in shock
Ava Arenado, an FSU student who was in class when the university alert went out, described a terrifying scene.
"One of my classmates got an alert on her phone and announced it to the rest of the class," Arenado told CBS News Miami. "My teacher immediately started barricading the door… and then another student said she'd rather go home, so we all just kind of ran to our cars."
FSU student Blake Leonard told CBS News Miami he heard a total of about 30 shots fired. Leonard said he was about 400 feet from the student union when he heard gunfire and started running.
"I heard about 12 shots go off. In my head, I thought it was construction at first, until I looked behind me and saw people running from the union towards my direction, and then I heard another 12 or 15 shots go off, so I started running away from there too," he said.
