Latest news with #UnitedAgainstHate
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘He's right outside': Westfield native and FSU freshman describes chaos when active shooter came through
It was 24 minutes until William Bouyea knew his daughter, a freshman at Florida State University, was safe. For Charlotte Bouyea, 19, a Westfield native, it took a few minutes longer to know if she would live or die on the campus she quickly came to love. 'I can't make noise right now,' Charlotte texted at 12:09 p.m., on Thursday, shortly after an active shooter alert rang out. 'Are you hiding?' her father pressed. 'Yes,' she responded. 'Ok. Lock everything ... I wish I was there. U ok? Ur phone's on silent?' William Bouyea asked, according to texts obtained by The Republican. 'Yeah. He's right outside,' she answered, regarding the student shooter who ambushed the campus. 'Your building?' her dad asked. 'My classroom,' Charlotte, his eldest daughter, answered. She and a teacher and another student barricaded themselves inside a small room where they were taking an elective English class, and tucked themselves into a corner. 'We just grabbed anything we could and shoved it against the door; then we hid,' Charlotte Bouyea said during an interview Friday. 'I was scared. Initially, I thought it was just a fight between two people and someone pulled a gun.' A former student and stepson of a Florida deputy has been identified as the suspect. He allegedly killed two and injured six, using his stepmother's weapon. Phoenix Ikner, 20, was ultimately wounded by police and taken into custody. Authorities have not disclosed a potential motive. Ikner arrived on the campus an hour before the shooting when he wandered through the campus green and buildings, firing a handgun shortly before lunchtime, authorities said. He was shot at noon, according to accounts. The shootings took place before a 'United Against Hate' march to honor a Florida State student, Maura Binkley, killed in a mass shooting at a nearby studio in 2018. Family members have identified two food service workers, Robert Morales, and Tiru Chabba, as the dead. Six others were shot and wounded, but are expected to survive. Charlotte Bouyea, among a student body of tens of thousands, said she did not know Ikner nor any of the dead or injured. However, she said the campus community is understandably rocked. As students approach their last week of classes and finals, academics were briefly paused and the university community has gathered for vigils. Among them: A statue in the campus that signals 'unconquerable.' She also believes attending colleges, unfortunately, may lead to peril. 'It's hard to feel truly safe, going back,' she said. 'I cried. But we lean on each other.' At 12:33 p.m., William, and his wife Gabby who had been praying, got the assurance they needed. 'We just got evacuated by police. Lots of people are crying. I think I'm safe now.' Wire service reports were included.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Yoga shooting victim's father was at FSU for an anti-hate summit. Now it's a crime scene
When Jeff Binkley heard several sirens outside his hotel room and saw a string of blue lights, patrol cars and ambulances speeding down West Tennessee Street, he knew something had happened at Florida State University. "I knew it was likely a mass shooting,' Binkley – the father of the 2018 Tallahassee hot yoga studio shooting victim Maura Binkley – told the Tallahassee Democrat. The Atlanta, Georgia native was at the Aloft Tallahassee Downtown hotel when the shooting occurred as he prepared for a "United Against Hate" Maura's Voice Symposium event scheduled for 5 p.m. April 17 to promote student safety on campus. 'Nothing else could have been concluded from what I saw heading that way after my experiences,' Binkley said. 'I knew it at that point.' His assumption was correct as the incident turned out to be the April 17 active shooting on FSU's campus. A shooter took the lives of two victims, who were not FSU students, while injuring six others. That led to the symposium being canceled. More: FSU shooting: Two dead; six injured after police say deputy's son opened fire on campus The shooter, 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner – the son of a Leon County Sheriff's Office deputy – is currently in the hospital after he was taken down by law enforcement. During the shooting, he used a handgun that was previously used and purchased by his mother, reports said. The symposium would have been held in FSU's HCB Classroom Building, which was closed because it is a crime scene. The other closed buildings are the Student Union, Bellamy, Rovetta, Moore Auditorium, Shaw Pepper, Hecht House and Carraway. 'It's almost unthinkable in an emotional sense, but it's also so horrible that in a rational sense, we all know this can happen any place, at any time,' Binkley said. 'It's a cruel irony and a cruel coincidence that I was here, given the nature of the symposium and its location. It's almost impossible to process right now.' He added: 'It's so painful for the victims and their families, especially if you know what it's like.' The Maura's Voice Symposium is an annual event on countering hate in the communities while building a safer campus. It was launched a couple years ago to shed light on 21-year-old Maura, a senior at FSU who was one of two victims killed Nov. 2, 2018, in the Tallahassee Hot Yoga studio shooting. Maura and 61-year-old Dr. Nancy Van Vessem died after a gunman with a long history of abusive behavior and hatred against women opened fire in the yoga studio. "This is a tragic day for Florida State University," FSU President Richard McCullough said during an April 17 press conference at FSU's Turnbull Conference Center after the shooting. "We're absolutely heartbroken by the violence." The last time FSU had a shooting was in November 2014, when 31-year-old Myron May entered the university's Strozier Library just after midnight and opened fire, injuring three before he was quickly shot and killed in a hail of bullets by Tallahassee and FSU police. May, an FSU graduate and an attorney who was mentally ill and suffered from paranoia, used a .380 semi-automatic handgun during the on-campus shooting and shot at seven people. The three injured individuals in that shooting were one employee and two students including Farhan Ronny Ahmed, a student at the time who was paralyzed from the hip down after being shot. Although that shooting took place over a decade ago, the tragedy is still vividly remembered by those who lived through the incident, in which hundreds of students were barricaded inside the library. FSU, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee State College all have canceled classes for Friday, April 18. The symposium will be rescheduled to a future date and time. Despite the shooting leading to the symposium being canceled, Binkley believes it's better that he's here rather than somewhere else. He says he now can bring whatever comfort he can to individuals affected by the latest shooting. 'I think it's better than being back home in Atlanta, especially because of what we were here to do,' Binkley said. 'One symposium and one act doesn't address this issue, but I came here for a reason, and this horrible act of violence just underscores why I should be here right now. It underscores the need for continued focus.' 'This is such a great, caring, loving community, and for that to happen here at the university that's been so helpful, and supportive to our family,' he added, 'I'm without adequate words.' A vigil will be held at 5 p.m. April 18 at FSU's Langford Green to honor the victims, according to a university spokesperson. 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: Father of Hot Yoga shooting victim speaks on FSU shooting
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
FSU active shooting cancels campus event that honored Tallahassee hot yoga shooting victim
An event at Florida State University designed to promote safety on campus and among FSU students was canceled − due to an active shooting at FSU on the day of. The active shooting occurred on the day of the "United Against Hate" event that sheds a light on 21-year-old Maura Binkley, a senior at FSU who was one of two victims killed Nov. 2, 2018, in the Tallahassee hot yoga studio shooting. Binkley and 61-year-old Dr. Nancy Van Vessem died after a gunman with a long history of abusive behavior and hatred against women opened fire in the hot yoga studio. Hours before "United Against Hate: Building a Safer Campus and Community Together" would start, there was an active shooter on campus at FSU on Thursday, April 17. At about noon, the Leon County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of an active shooter in FSU's student union. FSU students not already on campus were instructed to stay away, and all Leon County schools were under lockdown by 12:15 p.m. Students were instructed through the university's emergency alert system to shelter in place, lock and stay away from all doors and windows, and 'be prepared to take additional protective measures.' As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, students were still sheltering in place and six people had been reported injured and were being treated for injuries, some of them critical. Rumors of multiple shooters on campus were circulating among students, but had not been confirmed by local authorities. One man was taken into custody, according to the Tallahassee Police Department. 'All classes and university events including athletics events scheduled for Thursday, April 17, 2025, have been cancelled,' according to FSU's alert website. 'Individuals not already on the main campus at this time should avoid coming to the Tallahassee main campus.' The "United Against Hate" event was a "Maura's Voice Symposium" organized by students, faculty and university leaders. During the 2018 tragedy, the gunman walked into Hot Yoga Tallahassee before shooting and killing Maura Binkley, who was a fourth-generation FSU student at the time and Van Vessem, who was a chief medical officer at Capital Health Plan and an early faculty member at FSU's College of Medicine. The gunman also injured five others before killing himself. The "United Against Hate: Building a Safer Campus and Community Together" event was originally scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, April 17, in the Moore auditorium at FSU. The description said FSU students, faculty, university leadership and Tallahassee community leaders would discuss "effective strategies to counter hate on campus and in our communities" via engaging in meaningful conversations, shared experiences and brainstorming "innovative solutions to foster a safer and more respectful environment for everyone. Let's work together to create positive change and build a stronger, united community … with no place for hate." In the years since the Tallahassee hot yoga studio shooting, Maura Binkley's parents, Jeff and Margaret Binkley, established the Maura's Voice Research Fund in her memory. FSU's Maura's Voice Research Fund includes research to prevent misogynistic violent extremism. In November 2023, Jeff Binkley spoke at a symposium and memorial that marked the five-year anniversary of the tragic shooting. FSU President Emeritus John Thrasher, who led the university when the shooting took place, was one of the speakers at the Maura's Voice symposium. 'We wanted to honor the victims and have people see what's been going on at FSU to address hate and violent extremism in our society,' Jeff Binkley said at the 2023 event. For more information about Maura's Voice Research Fund and the "United Against Hate: Building a Safer Campus and Community Together" at FSU, visit Contributing: Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat, and Lianna Norman and Samantha Neely, USA TODAY Network-Florida Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU active shooting cancels event about hot yoga studio shooting victim
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Carolina's top federal prosecutor terminated by White House
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) — The top federal prosecutor in South Carolina is among a group of U.S. attorneys recently fired by the White House, according to her office. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina announced Tuesday that U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs is leaving the office following her termination by the Trump administration. In a statement, Boroughs said it was 'the honor of my career' to serve in the role as part of the Justice Department. 'The career men and women of this office work tirelessly day in and day out to meet the Department's mission–to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights,' she said. 'It has been my honor to support them in this critical and patriotic work however I could for as long as I could. To my colleagues, our law enforcement partners, and our South Carolina community, thank you for trusting me with this work.' Trump nominates Ed Martin, an ally who defended Jan. 6 rioters, to stay as top DC federal prosecutor Boroughs was sworn into office in 2022 after her nomination by former President Joe Biden. She was tasked with overseeing an office of roughly 140 attorneys and support staff. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, enforcing civil rights laws and prosecuting violent crime were among Boroughs' top priorities throughout her tenure. The office secured five federal hate crime convictions under her direction. The office also partnered with FBI Columbia to host several United Against Hate events, informational sessions designed to educate the public about federal hate crime laws and encourage incident reporting. Boroughs also oversaw the recent indictment of a Nigerian man who was extradited to the U.S. to face prosecution for a sextortion scheme that led to the death of 17-year-old Gavin Guffey. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews will take over as South Carolina's acting U.S. attorney. Andrews joined the Justice Department in 2009 and previously served as the Deputy Criminal Chief overseeing the prosecution of white-collar and other crimes. He has experience in criminal, civil, and appellate cases, according to the office. He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law and clerked for U.S. District Judge Margaret Seymour and South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal. This story is breaking and will be updated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
King steps down as U.S. Attorney for 32 North Carolina counties
U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced that she will step down from her position as the Western District's chief law enforcement officer effective Wednesday. The Western District of North Carolina covers 32 counties across the western part of the state. New U.S. Attorney says she wants to protect civil rights in Channel 9 exclusive interview 'It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of the Western District of North Carolina,' said King in a news release. 'I've had the privilege of working alongside some of the most talented public servants who are dedicated to serving our communities with integrity, distinction, and excellence. Our collective mission is to serve and protect the people of Western North Carolina. I stand proud of our accomplishments and our efforts to support law enforcement, build strong partnerships with our communities, and uphold justice.' King was the first person of color to be appointed to the position in the Western District of North Carolina. She was nominated by former President Joseph Biden on Sept. 28, 2021, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Nov. 19, 2021. She was sworn in on Nov. 29, 2021. 'Serving as U.S. Attorney has given me the privilege of working alongside our dedicated federal, state, and local law enforcement partners,' said King. King formed the district's first Civil Rights Team to enhance enforcement and community engagement regarding civil rights laws. She also reconstituted the Health Care Fraud Task Force, which recovered millions for government programs. King's initiatives, such as Think Again and United Against Hate, aimed to reduce gun violence and foster relationships between law enforcement and communities. King's office partnered with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and other districts to address school violence, teen dating violence, effective leadership, and positive conflict resolution. 'Being U.S. Attorney is an incredible job,' said King. 'It's been an honor and a privilege to have served in this role and I will always be incredibly thankful for the opportunity.' King will be succeeded by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina until there is a replacement. King did not specify in the news release why she left the position. VIDEO: New U.S. Attorney says she wants to protect civil rights in Channel 9 exclusive interview
