University of Florida students rally for stronger gun laws after deadly school shooting
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The University of Florida's chapter of Students Demand Action hosted a vigil and rally on Wednesday for those killed and hurt in the Florida State University shooting, and demanded action for stricter gun laws.
Two people were killed, and seven others were hurt in the April 17 shooting, officials said. Six of those were shot and one was hurt running away.
Phoenix Ikner, the 20-year-old suspected shooter – an FSU student and son of a Leon County Sheriff's Office deputy – remains hospitalized after law enforcement shot him once in the jaw, Tallahassee Police said Wednesday.
The backstory:
- 2 dead, 5 hurt; suspect identified as FSU student, son of Leon County deputy
- FSU shooting timeline: Shooting rampage over in 5 minutes, police say
- Funeral set for Tiru Chabba
- Five people hurt in FSU shooting released from the hospital
- What we know about the victims in the FSU shooting
- What we know about the suspect in the FSU shooting
- FSU shooting victim played dead as gunman reloaded: Report
‘This is such an important issue that impacts all of us in one way, shape or form’
What we know:
Between 20 and 25 people, including members of Students Demand Action, UF College Democrats, Moms Demand Action, and Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward, marched with shirts and signs near UF's campus on Wednesday.
It comes less than a week after the shooting near FSU's Student Union.
"We wanted to make sure that students at the University of Florida, and across the state of Florida, know that this is not an issue that they're alone in," one student said. "This is such an important issue that impacts all of us in one way, shape or form," said Connor Efrain, who said he texted several of his friends at FSU the moment he heard about the shooting.
"The fact that we have to keep doing this, and the fact that this keeps happening, is a failure," one student said.
Dig deeper:
Those at the rally talked about their views on gun laws and against House Bill 759, which could lower the minimum age to purchase a firearm in Florida from 21 to 18 – a reversal of reforms passed after the Parkland shooting.
They also called for secure storage laws, red flag laws and universal background checks.
2 killed, 7 injured in FSU mass shooting
The backstory:
Police said the shooting at FSU was over in less than five minutes, leaving two people dead, seven people hurt, hundreds scrambling for safety, and the alleged suspect being challenged, shot, and taken into custody.
On Tuesday – four days after the shooting – Tallahassee Memorial Hospital announced that five of the six victims in the shooting had been released. At the time, it was not clear if the other person was someone hurt in the shooting or the suspected shooter.
On Wednesday, Tallahassee Police confirmed that the suspected shooter remains hospitalized with significant injuries, but that he is expected to survive. Police confirmed that the suspect was shot once in the jaw by law enforcement after he refused their commands during the shooting.
Police said the alleged suspect would have to be cleared and released from the hospital before being arrested and booked into jail. It is also unclear what charges the suspect may face. That will be up to state prosecutors to determine.
In Florida, only a grand jury can return a first-degree murder indictment against a suspect.
FSU shooting: School security bills being considered
School security is a hot topic this legislative session in Tallahassee, Florida, especially after the Thursday shooting at Florida State University (FSU). Lawmakers are debating several gun-related bills, just blocks away from where the shooting happened. FOX 35's Evan Axelbank explains how this mass shooting is impacting the session.
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The Source: This story was written based on reporting from FOX 35's Caroline Coles who attended the rally at FSU; an update from the Tallahassee Police Department; and previous reporting from FOX 35 on the April 17 shooting at FSU. Previous information released by the Tallahassee Police Department, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, and Leon County Sheriff's Office.