Florida State University shooting: Two dead and six injured as student opens fire with mother's gun

An American college campus has been left devastated once again by after a student opened fire with a handgun on Thursday, killing two and seriously injuring half a dozen others. Survivors of the mass shooting incident are currently receiving life-saving care at the nearby Tallahassee Memorial hospital.

The shooter unleashed terror at Tallahassee campus using what is believed to have been his mother's police-issued firearm. It has been confirmed that the deceased were not students.

The gunman, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a student at FSU and the son of a local deputy, reportedly used one of the weapons from his home, which was later found at the scene. His mother, Deputy Ikner, has been serving as a middle school deputy for over 18 years and is known for her "exceptional service" to the community, Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said in a statement.

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"Regrettably, her son had access to one of her firearms, and that was the weapon discovered at the scene," McNeil said, adding that further investigations are ongoing to determine if Phoenix Ikner had access to other weapons.

Ikner was also a "longstanding member" of the Youth Advisory Council where he participated in several training programmes at the Sheriff's office. "So it's not surprising to us that he had access to firearms," McNeil added.

Authorities held a press conference on campus at 4.30pm local time (8.30pm GMT) to provide further information about what unfolded at FSU and how the suspect was brought down by police. They also announced that all classes will be suspended until Friday following the tragedy.

The horrific event unfolded around midday when a fair-haired gunman arrived in an orange Hummer and fired off nearly 15 rounds, witnesses told CNN. The university was thrown into chaos as it went into lockdown following the shooting incident, with students seen hiding behind trees and fleeing the campus as news of the violence broke.

Police have separately reported finding a grey sedan with a weapon inside, which might be linked to the crime scene, although its connection to an orange Hummer spotted by witnesses remains uncertain.

Ryan Cedergren, a 21-year-old communications student, recounted the harrowing experience of hiding with around 30 others in the bowling alley situated in the lower level of the student union after witnessing a panicked rush from a bar nearby.

"In that moment, it was survival," Cedergren recalled. After spending approximately 15 minutes in hiding, they were safely escorted out by university police, where Cedergren witnessed someone receiving urgent medical attention on the lawn.

Details regarding the severity of the injuries suffered by the victims were not immediately available, nor were there further specifics about the individual taken into custody.

Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell gave further information about how the 20-year-old shooter was apprehended, telling reporters that Ikner “did not comply with commands” but also did not shoot at officers. However, after failing to follow commands, he was shot by police.

Officers said that the shooter was "neutralised" some time around 3.15pm ET. Since being taken into custody, he has refused to speak.

How the attack unfolded

As the active shooter alert was issued by the university midday Thursday, emergency services including ambulances, fire engines, and vehicles from various law enforcement agencies converged on the campus area near the student union.

In the wake of the alert, hundreds of students were seen leaving the vicinity of the student union. Many were engrossed in their phones, some showing signs of distress, while others sought comfort in embraces from their fellow students.

A crowd formed near the music school, all awaiting further updates. Attorney General Pam Bondi has expressed her concerns on social media following the incident, stating that the Justice Department is coordinating with FBI agents at the scene. "Our priority is the safety of everyone involved," she commented.

"We will keep updating as we learn more. Praying for all."

In a separate post, FBI Director Kash Patel informed that his team received a full briefing on the shooting, revealing that agents from the bureau's Jacksonville field office are already at the school location. He said: "We will provide full support to local law enforcement as needed.

"Please keep the FSU community in your prayers."

President also gave a statement, confirming he had been "fully briefed" on the tragic event, and said: "It's a horrible thing. It's horrible that things like this take place."

However, he also refused to take any legal action to limit access to firearms in the US, saying that the gun was not to blame for the two people killed on Thursday.

“Look, I’m a big advocate of the Second Amendment, that happened from the beginning. I protected it, and these things are terrible, but the gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when signing unrelated executive orders.

“As far as legislation is concerned, this has been going on for a long time. I have an obligation to protect the Second Amendment, I ran on the Second Amendment, among many other things, and I will always protect the Second Amendment.”