TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Hundreds of Florida State University students, faculty and staff came together for a vigil on Langford Green to honor the victims of the on-campus shooting that killed two people and injured six others on Thursday.
Dozens of candles and flowers lined the perimeter of the Unconquered Statue outside of the Doak Campbell Stadium on Friday.
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Shane Gire, Danielle Prince, seniors at FSU, and their dog Prince attended the vigil.
Gire was working at the stadium, and Prince was at the gym about 10 minutes from the student union.
“We go to the student union almost every day,” Gire said. “We have class and stuff for lunch, and so we were probably going to be there an hour or two later. We’re just blessed to be safe, but we’re also just heartbroken for the families of the deceased and all of those that were affected.”
The two felt it was important to be at the vigil to show their support for the victims and heal with their FSU community.
“I think the prayer was absolutely beautiful. It definitely shows in the sense of community that we have, that we can all be here together today and pray and hope for everybody’s safety and well-being,” Prince said.
Even people who weren’t on campus at the time of the shooting wanted to find a way to help their community heal.
Katherine Becker was a non-degree seeking student at FSU, getting prerequisites for medical school. She brought her dog, Beau, to the vigil with the hopes that he could help bring joy to people who needed it.
“Dogs have a great power in themselves, just to bring a little joy and just a quick pet. I’ve seen how it’s changed in people’s faces and just gave them a smile in such a difficult time,” Becker said.
FSU officials also said the university will open a support center on Friday morning to provide counseling and victim’s advocate services to help those affected by the shooting.
“They’re banding together, moving forward, not letting this bring them down. Nole strong. Resilient Nole,” Becker said.
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On Thursday, law enforcement said the son of a Leon County Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested after he was accused of opening fire and shooting multiple people around 11:50 a.m. near the student union.
Police said the two men who were killed were not students, but no other victim information was immediately released.
On Thursday evening, a surgeon at Tallahassee Memorial Health said the six people who were injured were in “fair” condition.
The accused shooter was identified as Phoenix Ikner, 20, who was believed to be a current FSU student. Ikner was shot by responding law enforcement and taken to a local hospital, officials said.
Officials said the handgun recovered at the scene was one that the suspect’s mother used as a deputy prior to the agency transitioning to a new handgun, so it is considered to be a personal weapon.
Although the vigil ended, the healing process was just the beginning for the Seminole family.
“I don’t want this to be the image of Florida State. It is really a beautiful, safe school, and it is so sad and so tragic that this happened,” Gire said.
“It is something that no one should ever experience. And our heart goes on to the people who lost their family members, and we pray for their departed souls,” doctoral student Amit Nath said.
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When the accused shooter opened fire, terrified students barricaded doors and fled across campus, abandoning chemistry notes and even shoes.
By early Friday, memorials of candles and flowers dotted the campus as students and faculty tried to start healing from the previous day’s shooting, which sent shockwaves of fear across the campus.
Ella Williams was on campus when she got the alert that there was an active shooter.
“It was very surreal,” Williams said. “Everyone just kind of froze. We knew what we needed to do. We locked the door with desks and chairs. We closed all the windows, and we turned the lights off, and we kind of just sat in the corner and waited it out for a little bit.”
The FSU College Democrats organization said it will host a vigil on Saturday.
All FSU classes and business operations on the main campus in Tallahassee were canceled through Friday.
Students needing support can call 850-644-TALK for help. It is available 24/7.
The FSU Emergency Fund is collecting donations for people who want to provide immediate financial support to the students and families directly impacted by the tragedy.
Visit give.fsu.edu to donate.
