The six individuals wounded in the FSU campus shooting last Saturday have left the hospital, except for the suspect, Phoenix Ikner, who remains under medical supervision. The incident resulted in the deaths of two food service workers and prompted calls from students to maintain the current gun-buying age. Ikner, identified as both the shooter and a casualty due to his injuries inflicted by police, will face charges once his condition allows, according to WFTV.
Investigations showed that the firearm used in the shooting was the ex-service weapon of Ikner's stepmother, a sheriff's deputy. Weeks may be ahead before Ikner's recovery is sufficient for his arraignment. Amid this, FSU students have challenged state lawmakers to block any efforts to lower the gun-buying age, arguing instead for greater protection against such violence. One victim is still in good condition, fighting the aftermath alone, now threads the path to recovery at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, left unnamed due to patient privacy considerations, as reported by WFLA.
Students' advocacies came to a head as they joined Democratic state House members in the Capitol, urging action to prevent the rollback of the gun-buying age law, according to an article by AP News. The voices of Andres Perez, president of the school's Students Demand Action chapter, and other students resonated in the Capitol Rotunda. Transferring to FSU, Perez never envisioned aligning chairs into makeshift barricades and whispering final I love yous, hidden in darkness. Their appeals also include demands for classroom locks and heightened mental health resources with active shooter training on campus.
