Latest news with #TallahasseeStateCollege
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay 1st responders train side-by-side in active shooter drill
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Law enforcement officers and emergency medical personnel trained together this week in a high-intensity active shooter drill, working to improve response times and save lives in increasingly common mass casualty events. The joint training, known as Active Shooter Hostile Event Response, or ASHE, aims to get EMS into scenes faster to provide life-saving care alongside law enforcement, rather than waiting until a room is cleared. Gun malfunction stopped 'mass-casualty' event during Las Vegas gym shooting: police 'What we know is that if you train the way you're going to work, when the real thing happens, it becomes second nature,' said Logan Lane, director of public safety at Tallahassee State College. Lane said the traditional model of EMS waiting for a scene to be secured before entering cost valuable time. 'Past history, EMS with Fire Rescue had to wait until the room was cleared… so imagine how much time was lost, director of training operations at the University of Miami, Al Brotons said. The approach is already proving effective. First responders in Tallahassee used ASHE training when a gunman opened fire at Florida State University last month. 'Our young officers today are more likely to respond to one of these than in the past,' Lane said. 'We have to prepare them. It's constantly evolving. After Florida State or Uvalde, we go in and incorporate what we've learned.' In Ybor City, the training brought together agencies from across the region, including the Tampa Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. The simulated scenarios emphasized fast, coordinated action in chaotic environments. 'Unfortunately, these types of incidents are becoming too prevalent in our society,' Lane said. Officials said the goal is clear: when seconds count, seamless coordination between EMS and law enforcement can make the difference between life and death. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
TSC student body president, Trinidad native graduates after 'big change,' leadership roles
Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, Tallahassee State College graduate Destinee Britto struggled to find where she would fit in during her accelerated academic journey after moving to the capital city. But what started as the decision to grasp the opportunity of serving as class president in high school led to her drive to secure the student body president role at TSC, which – as of May 1 – she calls her alma mater. 'It was a big change coming from Trinidad, but it opened up so many new opportunities,' 18-year-old Britto told the Tallahassee Democrat. 'At first, it was overwhelming adjusting to a new school system and culture, but I quickly found ways to get involved and make my voice heard, especially through student leadership and service.' TSC's 2024 graduation: TSC fall commencement to mark the college's first graduating class since its renaming Britto, who served as TSC's Student Government Association president this past year, recently crossed the stage as part of the college's spring 2025 graduating class during the Thursday commencement ceremony at the Tucker Civic Center. The next stop on her journey is Florida State University, where she plans to double major in sports management and political science. But the road to Britto's latest achievement of graduating was not an easy one. While she says life in the beautiful Trinidad and Tobago – a dual-island country in the Caribbean – allowed her to be 'surrounded by a vibrant culture, close-knit community and strong family ties,' she faced challenges such as starting high school at 11 years old in the home country. 'I was navigating a lot at a young age," Britto said. "Still, I'm grateful for those early years because they gave me a strong foundation in resilience and drive." When Britto's family moved to Tallahassee in 2021, she took that resilience and drive with her when she attended Rickards High School and served as class president before graduating in 2023 and enrolling at TSC. 'Being 16, I knew that I needed a place that would be able to help me grow, a place that was affordable and a place where I'd be close to my family,' Britto said. 'I got all three by being at TSC.' Through Britto's role as student body president, she says she created more opportunities for incoming students to get involved by establishing several committees through SGA and creating a couple freshmen-only positions after hearing concerns from students who wanted to get more engaged. 'To me, being SGA president really just means it was in my court to hear student voices,' Britto said. 'It isn't just about having that title or being able to throw an event, it's about doing what's best for the students.' Besides SGA, Britto was involved with campus organizations such as TSC's Black Student Union and International Student Organization as well as FSU's Caribbean Student Association, where she served as one of its public relations chairs through the ASPIRE TSC2FSU transfer program. In addition, Britto is one of eight students in the country to have been selected in February as a 2025 DREAM Scholar, where the program offers students an opportunity to develop leadership, critical thinking and networking skills. While Britto's time at TSC consisted of several achievements and accomplishments, she says her support system – which includes TSC's Student Life Manager Deidra Green, who is also the college's SGA advisor – played a significant role in her success. 'I'm just extremely proud to have witnessed her reach her goal of not only being the SGA president, but being the first one of Tallahassee State College and doing such an amazing job to begin a legacy with our name change," Green said. "A lot of her peers obviously look up to her, but just seeing the culmination of all her hard work over the past two years has been amazing to witness." As Britto gears up to attend FSU, her career goal is to become a sports lawyer with a focus on immigration law. "It's very sad to be leaving TSC because I know the opportunities that it has opened for me, but I know it has also opened doors for me at Florida State,' Britto said. 'I'm very excited and look forward to seeing what I'm going to do over at FSU with the confidence that I have gained here.' Tarah Jean is a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at tjean@ Follow her on X: @tarahjean_. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: TSC SGA president, Trinidad native graduates after challenging journey
Miami Herald
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
FSU Shooting Suspect Phoenix Ikner Shared ‘Concerning' Views, Classmates Say
Phoenix Ikner, the 20-year-old student arrested following a mass shooting at Florida State University on Thursday, had previously expressed "concerning" views around race and racial justice campaigners, according to a number of his former classmates. Ikner allegedly made the remarks at Tallahassee State College, which he attended before transferring to Florida State University to study political science. Newsweek contacted Tallahassee State College along with the FBI for comment on Saturday via email outside of regular office hours. On Thursday, two people were killed and another six injured after a gunman opened fire apparently at random at Florida State University. Law enforcement shot and wounded Ikner, the alleged shooter, who was then taken into custody. Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said Ikner invoked his right to remain silent after being arrested. Revell added that there did not appear to be any connection between Ikner and those who were shot, and the motive behind the attack remains unknown. Ikner is the stepson of Leon County deputy sheriff Jessica Ikner, and allegedly used her former service pistol to carry out Thursday's attack. Police said they also recovered a shotgun at the scene along with an AR-15 style rifle in the vehicle Ikner drove to the campus. Speaking to CNN, several of Ikner's former Tallahassee State College classmates alleged he expressed extreme political views whilst studying at the institution. These included Lucas and Logan Luzietti, two brothers, who shared a national government class with Ikner during the spring of 2023. Lucas said Ikner had expressed "concerning rhetoric" and "would joke about the deaths of minorities." Lucas also said Ikner complained that Black people were lowering property prices in his neighborhood, said Joe Biden was not the legitimate U.S. president and argued Rosa Parks should have given up her seat during the Montgomery bus boycott. Referring to the gay rights campaign, Lucas added: "He talked about how Stonewall was bad for our society." Riley Pusins, the former president of a Tallahassee State College political discussion club that Ikner attended, said he had referred to Black Lives Matter and pro-Palestinian demonstrators as "dirty rats." Andrea Miranda, another senior figure in the discussion club, said Ikner's attitude towards minorities was "very demeaning and belittling." They added: "He never really had respect for anyone in the club that didn't share his personal political views." Another former Tallahassee State College student, Reid Seybold, who also transferred to Florida State University, said Ikner had been asked to leave the discussion club at the former after making comments which went "beyond conservatism." Seybold said: "He had continually made enough people uncomfortable where certain people had stopped coming. That's kind of when we reached the breaking point with Phoenix, and we asked him to leave." However, David Batista, who took a class with Ikner on authoritarian regimes at Florida State University, said there were "no red flags" and he "never said anything outrageous." Batista added: "It never struck me that he was extreme as they say he is." Newsweek has not independently verified the authenticity of the comments alleged to have been made by Ikner. Speaking to CNN, Florida State University President Richard McCullough said he was not aware of any concerns about Ikner conduct ahead of the shooting. Reacting to the shooting on Thursday during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, President Donald Trump said: "I've been fully briefed as far as where we are right now. It's a shame, it's a horrible thing ... horrible that things like this take place." Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote on X: "Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding." FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X: "My team and I have been briefed on the tragic shooting at Florida State and our FBI Jacksonville team is on the ground assisting. We will provide full support to local law enforcement as needed. Please keep the FSU community in your prayers." Police have said Ikner will be held in custody after he is released from hospital. He is expected to face a range of criminal charges including first degree murder. Related Articles Who Are the FSU Shooting Victims? What to Know as Community MournsMap Shows Where Florida Beachgoers Warned of 'Dangerous' Ocean ConditionsPhoenix Ikner Updates: New Details Emerge on FSU Shooter's ChildhoodFormer Ron DeSantis Spokesperson Accused of Exposing His 'Privates' to Woman 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
FSU shooting suspect's complex past comes to light – yet motive remains a mystery
Years before he was named a suspect in this week's fatal shooting at Florida State University, Phoenix Ikner had sought a new beginning. Traumatized by a complex custody battle between his parents that had ended in charges against his mother when he was younger, the then-teenager asked a Leon County, Florida, circuit court for a legal name change. Ikner appeared at his court hearing in 2020 via videoconference, dressed in his naval junior ROTC uniform. An honors student in high school at the time, he made a good impression. 'This court found him to be a mentally, emotionally, and physically mature young adult, who is very articulate, quite intelligent, very well spoken, and very polite,' wrote administrative magistrate James Banks in his approval of the legal switch from Ikner's birth name, which had been Christian Gunnar Eriksen. Ikner chose to adopt his father's surname and selected a first name brimming with symbolism. 'He chose the name Phoenix because of its representation of rising from the ashes anew,' Banks wrote. How Ikner went from a teenager with hopes for a fresh start to a 20-year-old accused of killing two people and injuring at least five others in Thursday's shooting in Tallahassee is a mystery. In interviews with classmates and reviews of legal documents, a portrait of a young man who struggled with a fractured family life and clashed with classmates over his extreme political views has emerged. But a possible motive for the deadly violence is not yet known. Ikner had just transferred to Florida State University from Tallahassee State College and enrolled this semester as a political science major. He remains hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries after he was shot by law enforcement, police said. As the investigation widened Friday into what led to the gunfire, students who knew the accused gunman described him as a troubled young man who openly talked about having a weapon. 'He would joke about mass violence,' said Lucas Luzietti, who shared a national government class with Ikner when he was at Tallahassee State College. 'And he did talk about how he used guns and had access to them.' Luzietti said he once argued with Ikner over the 2020 election and said that their classmates would exchange looks over Ikner's comments. That included Ikner denying the results of the presidential election and sharing hateful comments about minorities, he added. 'He espoused the election denialism belief that Joe Biden was not the legitimate president, he said that Rosa Parks was in the wrong, he also talked about how Black people are ruining his neighborhood and Stonewell was bad for society,' Luzietti said. 'He would also talk about how multiculturalism is dangerous.' Reid Seybold, a senior at FSU who said he first met Ikner at Tallahassee State, recalled Ikner being asked not to return to a political discussion club at his former college because of 'white supremacist rhetoric and far-right rhetoric.' The club's current president, Riley Pusins, said Ikner often promoted white supremacist values, even though the group was nonpartisan and was about debate and political discourse. After the meetings, Ikner would make even worse remarks, Pusins said. NBC News has confirmed the identity of the victims who died in Thursday's shooting: Robert Morales, 57, and Tiru Chabba, 45. FSU grad student Madison Askins was among the injured; the identities of the other wounded victims have not yet been released. Authorities said Thursday they believe Ikner used a handgun that belonged to his stepmother, Jessica Ikner, a Leon County sheriff's deputy and a school resource officer at a Tallahassee middle school. Jessica Ikner and other family members could not be reached for comment. Court documents, however, detail difficulties in Ikner's upbringing, including health issues and a battle for his custody that stretched overseas. In 2015, Ikner's biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, took him out of the country, violating her agreement with Ikner's father, Christopher, according to a probable cause affidavit from the Leon County Sheriff's Office viewed by NBC News. Eriksen had shared custody of her son, who was 10 or 11 years old and went by his birth name at the time, but she was required to give advanced notice if she took Ikner out of the U.S. For spring break that year, the affidavit said, Eriksen had told Christopher Ikner they were traveling to South Florida. Instead, she allegedly took their son to Norway, where both she and him had dual citizenship. Several weeks after spring break ended, Eriksen still had not brought the boy home to the United States and 'had no intention of returning' him to Tallahassee, despite pleas from his father, the affidavit added. When Eriksen did not bring Ikner back, Christopher Ikner contacted authorities to report his son kidnapped and to report that he was being denied medical care for developmental delays and special needs he had been diagnosed with, which included attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and a growth hormone disorder, the affidavit said. 'By keeping Christian in Norway, the defendant failed to have Christian in school for scheduled testing, canceled appointments with Christian's doctors in the U.S., and failed to maintain his medication protocols by her own admission,' it said. Later that year, Eriksen filed a lawsuit against Christopher and Jessica Ikner plus two other relatives in the Ikner family for allegedly slandering her and causing 'psychological harm' to their son by 'continuous and vicious litigation in family court.' The Ikners could not be reached for comment. 'Christian Gunnar Eriksen is the victim of psychological and emotional abuse, as well as parental alienation. Christopher Ikner enjoys taking credit for things that Anne-Mari Eriksen has done privately, professionally and parent wise,' the legal complaint read. Eriksen, who could not be reached for comment, was ultimately charged with removing a minor from the state and failing to return a minor, records show. She pleaded no contest and served a brief jail sentence. When Phoenix Ikner petitioned to legally change his name from Christian Gunnar Eriksen in 2019, which the court approved the following year, his mother objected to the name change, while his father supported it, papers show. Banks, the administrative magistrate who approved the change, wrote: 'He sees no reason to keep his former name as it is a constant reminder of the 2015 tragedy he suffered through and of his mother who he has not seen or spoken to since 2015.' Authorities say that at about 11 a.m. Thursday, Ikner arrived at the FSU parking garage, where he stayed for close to an hour before walking toward the student union. He then allegedly stalked buildings and lawns, firing his handgun indiscriminately at people, police added. Panicked students fled for their lives and called 911. Responding officers shot Ikner when he refused their commands, police said, with the rampage lasting less than five minutes. Following Thursday's shooting, Ikner has invoked his right to remain silent, police said. Seybold, who was locked down in a classroom and could hear gunfire nearby, is anxious for answers. 'I don't know why he would have done something like this,' Seybold said. 'I don't know where it would have come from, but I'd sure like to find out.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
18-04-2025
- NBC News
FSU shooting suspect's complex past comes to light — yet motive remains a mystery
Years before he was named a suspect in this week's fatal shooting at Florida State University, Phoenix Ikner had sought a new beginning. Traumatized by a complex custody battle between his parents that had ended in charges against his mother when he was younger, the then-teenager asked a Leon County, Florida, circuit court for a legal name change. Ikner appeared at his court hearing in 2020 via videoconference, dressed in his naval junior ROTC uniform. An honors student in high school at the time, he made a good impression. 'This court found him to be a mentally, emotionally, and physically mature young adult, who is very articulate, quite intelligent, very well spoken, and very polite,' wrote administrative magistrate James Banks in his approval of the legal switch from Ikner's birth name, which had been Christian Gunnar Eriksen. Ikner chose to adopt his father's surname and selected a first name brimming with symbolism. 'He chose the name Phoenix because of its representation of rising from the ashes anew,' Banks wrote. How Ikner went from a teenager with hopes for a fresh start to a 20-year-old accused of killing two people and injuring at least five others in Thursday's shooting in Tallahassee is a mystery. In interviews with classmates and reviews of legal documents, a portrait of a young man who struggled with a fractured family life and clashed with classmates over his extreme political views has emerged. But a possible motive for the deadly violence is not yet known. Ikner had just transferred to Florida State University from Tallahassee State College and enrolled this semester as a political science major. He remains hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries after he was shot by law enforcement, police said. As the investigation widened Friday into what led to the gunfire, students who knew the accused gunman described him as a troubled young man who openly talked about having a weapon. 'He would joke about mass violence,' said Lucas Luzietti, who shared a national government class with Ikner when he was at Tallahassee State College. 'And he did talk about how he used guns and had access to them.' Luzietti said he once argued with Ikner over the 2020 election and said that their classmates would exchange looks over Ikner's comments. That included Ikner denying the results of the presidential election and sharing hateful comments about minorities, he added. 'He espoused the election denialism belief that Joe Biden was not the legitimate president, he said that Rosa Parks was in the wrong, he also talked about how Black people are ruining his neighborhood and Stonewell was bad for society,' Luzietti said. 'He would also talk about how multiculturalism is dangerous.' Reid Seybold, a senior at FSU who said he first met Ikner at Tallahassee State, recalled Ikner being asked not to return to a political discussion club at his former college because of 'white supremacist rhetoric and far-right rhetoric.' The club's current president, Riley Pusins, said Ikner often promoted white supremacist values, even though the group was nonpartisan and was about debate and political discourse. After the meetings, Ikner would make even worse remarks, Pusins said. NBC News has confirmed the identity of the victims who died in Thursday's shooting: Robert Morales, 57, and Tiru Chabba, 45. FSU grad student Madison Askins was among the injured; the identities of the other wounded victims have not yet been released. Authorities said Thursday they believe Ikner used a handgun that belonged to his stepmother, Jessica Ikner, a Leon County sheriff's deputy and a school resource officer at a Tallahassee middle school. Jessica Ikner and other family members could not be reached for comment. Court documents, however, detail difficulties in Ikner's upbringing, including health issues and a battle for his custody that stretched overseas. In 2015, Ikner's biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, took him out of the country, violating her agreement with Ikner's father, Christopher, according to a probable cause affidavit from the Leon County Sheriff's Office viewed by NBC News. Eriksen had shared custody of her son, who was 10 or 11 years old and went by his birth name at the time, but she was required to give advanced notice if she took Ikner out of the U.S. For spring break that year, the affidavit said, Eriksen had told Christopher Ikner they were traveling to South Florida. Instead, she allegedly took their son to Norway, where both she and him had dual citizenship. Several weeks after spring break ended, Eriksen still had not brought the boy home to the United States and 'had no intention of returning' him to Tallahassee, despite pleas from his father, the affidavit added. When Eriksen did not bring Ikner back, Christopher Ikner contacted authorities to report his son kidnapped and to report that he was being denied medical care for developmental delays and special needs he had been diagnosed with, which included attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and a growth hormone disorder, the affidavit said. 'By keeping Christian in Norway, the defendant failed to have Christian in school for scheduled testing, canceled appointments with Christian's doctors in the U.S., and failed to maintain his medication protocols by her own admission,' it said. Later that year, Eriksen filed a lawsuit against Christopher and Jessica Ikner plus two other relatives in the Ikner family for allegedly slandering her and causing 'psychological harm' to their son by 'continuous and vicious litigation in family court.' The Ikners could not be reached for comment. 'Christian Gunnar Eriksen is the victim of psychological and emotional abuse, as well as parental alienation. Christopher Ikner enjoys taking credit for things that Anne-Mari Eriksen has done privately, professionally and parent wise,' the legal complaint read. Eriksen, who could not be reached for comment, was ultimately charged with removing a minor from the state and failing to return a minor, records show. She pleaded no contest and served a brief jail sentence. When Phoenix Ikner petitioned to legally change his name from Christian Gunnar Eriksen in 2019, which the court approved the following year, his mother objected to the name change, while his father supported it, papers show. Banks, the judge who approved the change, wrote: 'He sees no reason to keep his former name as it is a constant reminder of the 2015 tragedy he suffered through and of his mother who he has not seen or spoken to since 2015.' Authorities say that at about 11 a.m. Thursday, Ikner arrived at the FSU parking garage, where he stayed for close to an hour before walking toward the student union. He then allegedly stalked buildings and lawns, firing his handgun indiscriminately at people, police added. Panicked students fled for their lives and called 911. Responding officers shot Ikner when he refused their commands, police said, with the rampage lasting less than five minutes. Following Thursday's shooting, Ikner has invoked his right to remain silent, police said. Seybold, who was locked down in a classroom and could hear gunfire nearby, is anxious for answers. 'I don't know why he would have done something like this,' Seybold said. 'I don't know where it would have come from, but I'd sure like to find out.'
