Latest news with #RobertMorales
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
FSU students have plan to prevent campus shootings — after all, they lived through one
On April 17, 2025, a gunman entered the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee — our campus — killing two people and injuring six others. Phoenix Ikner, 20, an FSU undergraduate student from Tallahassee, is being charged with the murder of Coach Robert Morales— a local legend who coached high school football and had ties to Miami — and Tiru Chabba, a South Carolinian food service executive visiting FSU for work. A lack of gun control didn't directly cause this tragedy. Ikner used firearms that legally belonged to his parents; his stepmother is a Leon County Sheriff's deputy. While there is no single solution to prevent gun violence, a group of FSU students has developed a three-part proposal to mitigate the risk of school shootings on college campuses. We propose three legislative acts: the ACCESS Act, the ARMOR Act and the AGENT Act. ▪ The ACCESS Act addresses a long-standing issue for college students — access to mental health resources. College students are an especially vulnerable group when it comes to mental health. This act would create the Office of Mental Health Services to provide oversight and coordinate mental health resources across Florida's public university system. It would fund the hiring of more licensed mental health practitioners and train existing staff on specialized care. A portion of services would be provided by licensed professionals, with support from graduate students earning clinical hours. Of course, counseling alone cannot prevent all forms of gun violence. ▪ The ARMOR Act is designed to ensure that every classroom door on Florida's 110 public college campuses can be locked from the inside during an emergency. This simple yet crucial infrastructure upgrade could save lives by buying time during active shooter events. ▪ The AGENT Act is a more controversial but, we believe, necessary measure. It gives students the right to protect themselves from armed threats, like the one we faced in April. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Gun-Free School Zones Act to curb campus violence. However, in practice, this designation has turned campuses into soft targets — spaces where law-abiding citizens cannot respond to threats. The AGENT Act in accordance with federal statute, would permit campus carry of guns in Florida under tightly controlled conditions. It would not simply follow Florida's constitutional carry law. Instead, the AGENT Act would require a concealed carry weapons (CCW) permit, which involves a live-fire proficiency test. To carry on campus, students and staff would have to pass this test annually and undergo regular mental health check-ins through the new Office of Mental Health Services or an equivalent body on private campuses. Our bill is modeled on elements from Georgia and West Virginia's campus carry laws and includes important limitations. For instance, weapons would not be allowed in on-campus daycares to eliminate risks to infants and children. Similarly, areas with 'adequate security measures'— meaning locations with electronic screening and armed staff— would be exempt from carry permissions, as those spaces already have built-in protections. By combining mental health investment, safety-focused infrastructure upgrades and regulated campus carry, we believe Florida can make meaningful progress in protecting students. We, the students behind this proposal, urge the Florida Legislature to act. We also call on the public to demand meaningful change from their elected officials. We are looking for legislative sponsors and are meeting with Florida representatives and senators. Together, we can turn a tragic moment into a lasting transformation that protects the future of our state — and its students. Reid Seybold is pursuing a bachelor's degree in political science at FSU. Noah Brown is pursuing a master's degree in applied American politics. They can be reached at: TheAAASolution@
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Toluca holds America to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of the Mexican Clausura final
Toluca's Robert Morales, center, reacts during the Mexican soccer league first leg final match against America in Mexico City, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) America's Cristian Borja does a bicycle kick past Toluca's Juan Dominguez during the Mexican soccer league first leg final match in Mexico City, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) America's Rodrigo Aguirre, right, and Toluca's Andres Pereira fight for the ball during the Mexican soccer league first leg final match in Mexico City, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) America's Sebastian Caceres, left, and Toluca's Robert Morales vie for the ball during the Mexican soccer league first leg final match in Mexico City, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) Toluca's Robert Morales, center, reacts during the Mexican soccer league first leg final match against America in Mexico City, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) America's Cristian Borja does a bicycle kick past Toluca's Juan Dominguez during the Mexican soccer league first leg final match in Mexico City, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) America's Rodrigo Aguirre, right, and Toluca's Andres Pereira fight for the ball during the Mexican soccer league first leg final match in Mexico City, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) America's Sebastian Caceres, left, and Toluca's Robert Morales vie for the ball during the Mexican soccer league first leg final match in Mexico City, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) MEXICO CITY (AP) — Top-seeded Toluca salvaged a 0-0 draw against defending champion America on Thursday in the first leg of the Mexican Clausura championship series. The Aguilas, who finished with the second-best record in the regular season, had the best scoring chances but missed a couple of clear opportunities. Advertisement 'It was an evenly played match. Toluca came to defend pretty strong. We proposed it, but did not know how to finish our plays,' Aguilas coach Andre Jardine said. 'It is a wide-open series. I think the second leg will be a different kind of match.' The return leg will be played next Sunday at Toluca, a city located 66 kilometers (around 40 miles) from the nation's capital. America, which reached the final after knocking out crosstown rival Cruz Azul in a rematch of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals, is aiming to become the second team to win four straight championships in Mexico. Only Chivas, from 1958 until 1962, has won four titles in a row, although with a different format. Toluca, which is third on the all-time list of champions in Mexico with 11 titles, is trying to end a 15-year drought. The last time Toluca won a title was in the Clausura 2010 tournament. Since then, the team has qualified for three finals and lost them all. Advertisement 'We played a great match on the defensive side. We need to rest knowing that the second leg is going to be as intense as this one,' Toluca coach Antonio Mohamed said. 'We know what type of opponent we are facing and it's going to be much harder than today.' After the domestic final, America is set to face the LAFC in Los Angeles on May 31 in a qualification playoff for the last spot in the Club World Cup. ___ AP soccer:
Fox News
16-05-2025
- Fox News
Suspected FSU campus shooter indicted on murder charges for allegedly killing 2, injuring 6
The 20-year-old man accused of killing two and injuring six others in an April 17 mass shooting on Florida State University's campus has been indicted by a grand jury. Phoenix Ikner was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder charges and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, according to WTXL ABC 27. The members of the grand jury reportedly described the shooting as "our community's worst nightmare." Further details about the mass shooting were released in the indictment, including information about an FSU police officer who drove directly toward the danger on his motorcycle. That officer was identified as Cody Poppell, and the indictment reportedly said that he confronted Ikner amid the shooting and fired several shots at him, including one that struck him in the face. The grand jury also said that Ikner used a shotgun and .45 caliber pistol stolen from his parents' home to terrorize the college campus. The deceased victims have been identified as Robert Morales and Tiru Chabba. Chabba's family reportedly released a statement through their attorney following the indictment. "Our hope is that, through the thorough and transparent investigation and prosecution of the events surrounding last month's shooting, today's court appearance will mark the first steps toward closure for a family that suffered so much," the statement said. Ikner spent weeks in the hospital recovering from a jaw injury following the shooting, and had his first court appearance online upon his release earlier this week. He appeared before Circuit Court Judge Monique Richardson in Leon County, Florida. The judge found Ikner to be indigent and appointed him a public defender, Randall Harper. He is being held without bond in the Wakulla County Detention Facility, which is standard protocol because his stepmother is a Leon County Sheriff's deputy. Tallahassee Chief of Police Lawrence Revell released a statement before Ikner's first court appearance. "In any case, especially one of this magnitude, the Tallahassee Police Department has the highest commitment to justice, transparency and the safety of our community," the statement said. "We are grateful for the work of our detectives, officers, medical personnel and partner agencies who helped bring us to this point."
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Yahoo
FSU community healing together on Easter weekend following deadly shooting
Students and staff at Florida State University came together in a peaceful vigil and serene outdoor service on Holy Saturday to exalt their strong sense of community after a shooting sent shockwaves across the campus of nearly 45,000 students. Saturday's vigil included live acoustic Christian music performances from students and sermons from religious leaders. It was also a moment to remember the two men killed during Thursday's shooting, fewer than 72 hours before. Five people were wounded in the attack, and two people were killed — Robert Morales, 57, and Tiru Chabba, 45. The shooter was also wounded. According to the Tallahassee Medical HealthCare hospital, one victim went home Friday, and five other people wounded in the shooting — including the alleged shooter — are still in the hospital. Hospital staff said all of the patients are now listed in "good" condition. The hospital would not share any further details. But it wasn't just the people who were shot who were scarred from the attack. Thursday's shooting rampage sent hundreds of students running for their lives. Many students who returned to collect the items they left behind in the chaos expressed a range of emotions — anger, frustration, and anguish — saying they are traumatized by the surreal experience. Many others on campus on Saturday were in tears as they walked by a growing memorial near the student union. Flowers, notes, candles, and other items were placed neatly in two rows down a sidewalk among the oak trees and Spanish moss, a defining beauty mark on FSU's picturesque campus. For those at Saturday's vigil, it was a soothing opportunity for collective healing. The crowd sang along together, prayed together, and reflected together. "It's overwhelming" FSU President Richard McCullough said the university is setting up a resource center for the victims of Thursday's mass shooting. "It was pretty terrifying," McCullough said. "FSU police were the ones that took care of the shooter, and we're so proud of what they did because it could have been so much worse." McCullough said the university is just two weeks away from graduation. "It's overwhelming because I feel responsibility to keep everybody safe as part of my job," McCullough told CBS News in an interview Saturday morning. "It's tough for me, obviously, very tough with the students ... It's something you worry about all the time." He said the school is evaluating setting up potential financial assistance for those wounded, but he says the details are still being discussed, and nothing has been finalized. "I had a number of presidents and chancellor's colleagues from other universities reach out and say, 'Hey, Rick, we lived through this, we've already been through this, you know, Virginia tech and Virginia and UNC, you know, reach out if you need, if you need help,' and it's just, it's awful that this has become so commonplace," he said. McCullough said the school had just facilitated an active shooter training event just a few weeks before the attack. He says new students also receive active shooter training as part of their orientation. "It's become part of what you have to prepare for at the university," McCullough said. "Just like anything that happens to you, you certainly remember it, but we're strong, we'll work through it." Investigation into shooting continues Police say the accused gunman, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, sustained "significant" injuries during a shootout with officers and will likely be in the hospital for some time before he can be criminally charged. Chief Lawrence Revell with Tallahassee Police said, at this point, it does not appear that there was any connection between the alleged shooter and the victims. Police say the suspect used a handgun that belonged to his stepmom, who is a local county sheriff's deputy for the Leon County Sheriff's Office. She is now on personal leave. Investigators said the suspect had participated in several training programs with the sheriff's office. "Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons, and that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene," said Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil. Investigators are still working to determine a motive for the attack. Court documents from 2015 show Ikner's father said his son had "special needs" and was taking medication for "health and mental issues." A neighbor of the home where Ikner lived with his stepmom and father says they "took great care of him." Another neighbor who rode the bus with Ikner every day to middle and high school remembers him being very quiet. "He was just very odd," neighbor Laney Montgomery recalls. "He was very quiet. He didn't really have much of a presence around." As for the students wounded on Thursday, their focus is on healing. Graduate student Madison Askins was shot in the back after she tripped and fell while trying to run away from the gunman during Thursday's attack. Asked what her message would be to the alleged person who shot her, Askins said: "He doesn't deserve any more of my time. He's already taken what he can, and at this point, in my opinion, he deserves nothing else." How could Trump's trade war with China end? The dangers posed by cuts to U.S. foreign aid Passage: In memoriam
CBS News
20-04-2025
- CBS News
Florida State University community healing together on Easter weekend following deadly shooting
Students and staff at Florida State University came together in a peaceful vigil and serene outdoor service on Holy Saturday to exalt their strong sense of community after a shooting sent shockwaves across the campus of nearly 45,000 students. Saturday's vigil included live acoustic Christian music performances from students and sermons from religious leaders. It was also a moment to remember the two men killed during Thursday's shooting, fewer than 72 hours before. Five people were wounded in the attack, and two people were killed — Robert Morales, 57, and Tiru Chabba, 45. The shooter was also wounded. According to the Tallahassee Medical HealthCare hospital, one victim went home Friday, and five other people wounded in the shooting — including the alleged shooter — are still in the hospital. Hospital staff said all of the patients are now listed in "good" condition. The hospital would not share any further details. But it wasn't just the people who were shot who were scarred from the attack. Thursday's shooting rampage sent hundreds of students running for their lives. Many students who returned to collect the items they left behind in the chaos expressed a range of emotions — anger, frustration, and anguish — saying they are traumatized by the surreal experience. Many others on campus on Saturday were in tears as they walked by a growing memorial near the student union. Flowers, notes, candles, and other items were placed neatly in two rows down a sidewalk among the oak trees and Spanish moss, a defining beauty mark on FSU's picturesque campus. For those at Saturday's vigil, it was a soothing opportunity for collective healing. The crowd sang along together, prayed together, and reflected together. FSU President Richard McCullough said the university is setting up a resource center for the victims of Thursday's mass shooting. "It was pretty terrifying," McCullough said. "FSU police were the ones that took care of the shooter, and we're so proud of what they did because it could have been so much worse." McCullough said the university is just two weeks away from graduation. "It's overwhelming because I feel responsibility to keep everybody safe as part of my job," McCullough told CBS News in an interview Saturday morning. "It's tough for me, obviously, very tough with the students ... It's something you worry about all the time." He said the school is evaluating setting up potential financial assistance for those wounded, but he says the details are still being discussed, and nothing has been finalized. "I had a number of presidents and chancellor's colleagues from other universities reach out and say, 'Hey, Rick, we lived through this, we've already been through this, you know, Virginia tech and Virginia and UNC, you know, reach out if you need, if you need help,' and it's just, it's awful that this has become so commonplace," he said. McCullough said the school had just facilitated an active shooter training event just a few weeks before the attack. He says new students also receive active shooter training as part of their orientation. "It's become part of what you have to prepare for at the university," McCullough said. "Just like anything that happens to you, you certainly remember it, but we're strong, we'll work through it." Police say the accused gunman, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner , sustained "significant" injuries during a shootout with officers and will likely be in the hospital for some time before he can be criminally charged. Chief Lawrence Revell with Tallahassee Police said, at this point, it does not appear that there was any connection between the alleged shooter and the victims. Police say the suspect used a handgun that belonged to his stepmom, who is a local county sheriff's deputy for the Leon County Sheriff's Office. She is now on personal leave. Investigators said the suspect had participated in several training programs with the sheriff's office. "Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons, and that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene," said Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil. Investigators are still working to determine a motive for the attack. Court documents from 2015 show Ikner's father said his son had "special needs" and was taking medication for "health and mental issues." A neighbor of the home where Ikner lived with his stepmom and father says they "took great care of him." Another neighbor who rode the bus with Ikner every day to middle and high school remembers him being very quiet. "He was just very odd," neighbor Laney Montgomery recalls. "He was very quiet. He didn't really have much of a presence around." As for the students wounded on Thursday, their focus is on healing. Graduate student Madison Askins was shot in the back after she tripped and fell while trying to run away from the gunman during Thursday's attack. Asked what her message would be to the alleged person who shot her, Askins said: "He doesn't deserve any more of my time. He's already taken what he can, and at this point, in my opinion, he deserves nothing else."
