Above video: FSU shooting suspect appears in court
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The large ju judge charged Florida State University students with murder of two people and murder of six wounded in a mass shooting on campus last month.
The released indictment revealed new details Wednesday that 20-year-old Phoenix Echner allegedly carried out the attack that terrified the university and the Florida capital.
According to a report from the Associated Press, the ju umpire described the rampage as “the worst nightmare in our community,” but concluded a quick response to shortening the violence. The Great Jury also discovered that the police officer injured in shooting and killing Ichner acted legally and heroically.
The indictment on Wednesday came the day after Ichner first appeared in court since the April 17 shooting.
Jessica Yeary, the public defense counsel assigned to Ikner’s case, did not respond to requests for comment from the Associated Press.
Investigators identified as the son-in-law of a local sheriff’s deputy, Ichner is being held unconfined under an order that he has not had contact with the victim and his family. He was transferred to a nearby Wakula County jail. This is a standard procedure when an inmate is associated with a Leon County deputy, officials said.
After reviewing police body camera footage, campus surveillance feeds and video recordings by eyewitnesses, the big ju judge concluded that Ichner was acting alone and slowed down the attack by a shotgun that failed to operate properly.
In about four minutes, officers confronted Ichner, a Florida political science student, shooting him dead and wounded him, Tallahassee police said.
The big ju judge highlighted the actions of FSU police officer Cody Poppel, who drove a motorcycle towards the sound of gunfire as the student escaped around him. Poppel shot gunmen several times, but straddled the motorcycle he was running and hit Ichner in the face once, the big ju discovered.
“There is no doubt that other people died without taking his actions,” the Great Jury wrote about Popel.
Speaking at a board meeting overseeing the state’s university system, Prime Minister Ray Rodriguez praised the law enforcement response.
“It’s obviously tragic to shoot and lose a life on a student. But the quick response of the FSU campus police has prevented this from preventing it from being far worse than ever,” Rodriguez said.
According to the discovery of the Great Jury, Ikner was armed with a shotgun and a handgun. It was decorated with the Sheriff’s Star and the “Leon County Sheriff’s Office.” Investigators identified the firearm as a former service weapon of Ichner’s stepmother. Ichner “stole” both guns from his parents’ house, and the ju-degree snatched the pistol from his father’s bedside.
The big ju judge described Ichner’s victim selection as “completely random,” targeting men and women of “various ages, races and lifestyles.”
“All the evidence suggests he simply wants to kill as many people as possible, but he wasn’t targeting any people or groups,” wrote the Great Jury. “The only consistent trait of each victim was their innocence.”
To date, the ju apprentices have discovered that Leon County schools do not have a history of mental health or behavioral referrals that demonstrate Ekner as a threat. Similarly, Tallahassee State University, where Ichner was previously present, did not provide disciplinary referrals or threats to other students regarding Ichner’s files. FSU also has no record of Ichner seeking mental health counseling, violent comments or disciplinary referrals facing, ju-described.
Ichner’s arrest is scheduled for June 11th, according to court records.
