• A shooting at Florida State University (FSU) resulted in two deaths and six injuries, causing the cancellation of a “United Against Hate” symposium.
• The symposium, organized by the father of a previous Tallahassee shooting victim, aimed to promote campus safety.

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.” 

Information on vigil

• 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 [email protected]. Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.