FSU to resume classes on Monday following deadly shooting on campus

Two days after a shooting at Florida State University claimed the lives of two people and injured several others, classes are set to resume on Monday, the university's president said.

FSU President Richard McCullough made the announcement on Saturday in an X post, where he also acknowledged the tragic event and encouraged students and staff affected by the incident to reach out to mental health services at the university.

The victims who were killed in the shooting were identified as Robert Morales, a Miami-Dade man who founded a popular Cuban restaurant, and Tiru Chabba, a South Carolina man who was a father of two.

Following the shooting, law enforcement was able to take the alleged gunman into custody. He was identified as 20-year-old political science student Phoenix Ikner.

Officials said Ikner is the son of a sheriff’s deputy and used his mother's former service weapon in the shooting.

All of those wounded in the shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee on Thursday are expected to make a full recovery, a surgeon said

FSU's College Democrats released the following statement criticizing McCullough's decision to resume operations at the university:

In a video posted on X, McCullough said the university will be flexible with students who need time or are not ready to return.

"I know this will not feel like a typical week, it's the last one before finals and many of you are still processing what happened," he said. "We understand that and we understand that some of you may not be able to return on Monday."

Students and instructors will have the option of holding classes remotely or in person, depending on the class. The school has waived all mandatory attendance policies that could affect grades, so students won't be punished if they choose not to go to class in person, McCullough said in a letter to students and faculty.

Students also can request an incomplete grade for their class if they feel they are unable to complete a course, McCullough said.

“We want everyone to receive the support and help they need. For some students that may mean not going back into the classroom,” McCullough said. “For others, the idea of community and gathering, as well as the opportunity to focus on academics, may be beneficial. There is no single right answer for everyone.”

NBC6 spoke to a student who was affected by the shooting.

"About as well as one can be doing given the circumstances," Madaln Propst said. "I’ve just really been around friends, I’ve been talking to my mom a lot, just trying to figure out how to move forward."

Propst is a freshman, and like some other students, she said the university was not prepared for a mass shooting.

She said the classroom's doors didn't unlock and professors weren't trained to respond to a mass shooting.

"There were people that were trying the doors together with laptop chargers and sweaters," she said. "There was a professor who held the door shut for 90 minutes and people made a barricade around him. It’s irresponsible to not have a way for our professors to lock the doors from the inside."

The alleged shooter is still recovering in the hospital while possible charges are pending.