A 57-year-old Florida State University dining services employee was one of eight people shot when 20-year-old gunman Phoenix Ikner allegedly opened fire at the Tallahassee campus Thursday.
Robert Morales, a longtime worker at the school, was one of two victims who didn’t survive his wounds, according to his older brother.
“He loved his job at FSU and his beautiful Wife and Daughter,” Ricardo Morales Jr. posted on social media.
Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare said Thursday the six patients it was treating were in fair condition, but didn’t provide their names. The hospital said Friday two patients were expected to be discharged before the weekend. Three victims improved to good condition and one person remained in fair condition.
AP Photo/Gary McCullough
Students gather on a stretch of sidewalk near the center of the Florida State campus in Tallahassee on Friday. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)
The other person killed wasn’t an FSU student either, according to NBC News.
Hospital officials were notified of the mass shooting before noon Thursday. Medical workers said two of the victims required abdominal operations and a third needed facial surgery, according to CBS News.
The alleged gunman was reportedly wounded in a shootout with police. His condition isn’t known. Florida station WTBF said Ikner had been on medication for physical and mental health issues but did not specify what conditions he was treating.
Police say Ikner is an FSU student. His mother, Jessica Ikner, is a veteran deputy at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. He’s believed to have used her service weapon in Thursday’s shooting. Witnesses said the shooter stepped out of an orange vehicle and opened fire near the student union around 11:50 a.m. His motive is unclear.
