A random rampage? Alleged FSU shooter charged after five minutes of terror
Phoenix Ikner waited in a Florida State University parking garage for nearly an hour before going on a random shooting rampage that left two people dead and six injured, all in the span of a few minutes.
The Tallahassee Police Department released a timeline of the shooting on April 17, giving a clearer picture of the horror that unfolded on campus. TPD Chief Lawrence Revell also discussed the shooting at police headquarters.
"The coordinated response was incredible," Revell said. "The first shot rang out at 11:56 or (11:57 a.m.), and within three to five minutes, the situation was over."
Revell also released more details about Ikner, saying there didn't appear to be any connection between himself and the people he shot.
He also said Ikner "did receive significant injuries" when he was taken down by law enforcement and will require "a significant amount of time" in a local hospital.
"Once he is released from that facility, he'll be taken to a local detention facility, where he will face the charges up to and including first-degree murder," Revell said.
Gunman fired handgun as he walked in and out of buildings and greens
TPD's timeline showed that at 11 a.m., Ikner arrived at an FSU parking garage. He stayed in the area for a while, moving in and out of the vehicle.
At 11:51 a.m., he left the parking lot. Between five and six minutes later, the first shot is fired, TPD said.
"Ikner walks in and out of the buildings and green spaces, firing a handgun," the Police Department said.
By 11:58 a.m., multiple 911 calls report a male is actively shooting on campus. At the same time, nearby police officers begin responding. By noon, the suspect was shot by responding officers and taken into custody.
Revell, at police headquarters, praised the work of his agency and others, which he said was the product of constant training.
"As I was responding to the scene in the very early moments of this, I saw teams running by me of officers with rifles and helmets and EMS personnel or fire/paramedic personnel ... that were going right into the hot zone," he said. "That type of training, that type of response, doesn't happen by itself."
The chief also warned that anyone thinking about committing such an act would face swift justice.
"If you are thinking of causing harm to our community or disrupting the peace that we have here, let me assure you the men and women of the Tallahassee Police Department are the best in the world, and we will not rest. We will not stop until you are brought to justice."
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee police: Alleged FSU shooter facing first-degree murder charges
