(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Members of the Florida State University community will return to the areas in and around the student union building on Friday for the first time since Thursday’s shooting.
They are being allowed there to retrieve the personal belongings they left behind — items abandoned in the chaos when gunfire shattered the calm and sent students fleeing for their lives.
McKenzie Heeter, a 20-year-old junior, was just feet away from the gunman when the shooting began.
“I was leaving the union with food in my hand,” McKenzie recalled. “I noticed [an orange vehicle that looked like a Hummer]. Then I saw him [wearing a matching orange shirt], waving around a bigger rifle … and then he pulled out the handgun and shot that woman. That’s when I just completely ran.”
McKenzie describes sprinting across campus in sheer panic.
“I did a four-minute mile in sandals. I’ve never run that fast in my life,” she said. “I felt like I have got to leave or else it could be me next.”
While she says the entire afternoon feels surreal, one moment replays vividly in her mind — the horrific moment she saw the suspect shoot a woman in purple scrubs from behind.
“Her back was to him. She was just walking. I don’t even think she registered what happened. That’s what I just keep thinking about.”
In the chaos, McKenzie’s first call was to her mom.
“She’s my best friend. I just wanted her to know I was okay,” she said.
Investigators say the gunman killed two people, neither of them students, and injured six others who have yet to be identified.
One suffered critical injuries but, on Thursday evening, was upgraded with the rest of the injured survivors to fair condition.
The accused gunman, a stepson of a local sheriff’s deputy, was also taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries after law enforcement agents shot him.
Investigators say the suspect used a handgun that was once his stepmother’s service weapon. He was also carrying a shotgun, investigators say.
As the entire campus continues to process the trauma, McKenzie tells ABC News that her sense of safety has been shattered.
“The most heartbreaking part is that everybody feels unsafe now. Someone just came and took that from us,” she said.
(NEW YORK) — Power has been restored to nearly 99% of customers, LUMA Energy said in an update early Friday.
LUMA Energy gave an update at 5 a.m. on Friday morning, saying that almost 1.5 million people — or 98.8% of their customers — have now had their power restored.
“LUMA remains focused on completing the restoration and will continue work until all customers have service,” the statement from LUMA Energy read. “As of 5:00 a.m. on April 18, LUMA had restored power to 1,450,367 customers, representing 98.8% of the total, in less than 48 hours since the island-wide outage began.”
“With this progress, LUMA has met its initial projection of restoring service to at least 90% of customers by 12:40 p.m. on Friday,” the statement continued. “The LUMA Emergency Operations Center (LEOC) remains active, and teams continue to work quickly and safely to stabilize the system and restore service to the remaining customers.”
LUMA said that even though their work is nearing completion, some customers may continue to experience temporary interruptions due to limited generation.
Between 98% and 100% of hospitals in most regions have had their power restored along with most water and telecommunications systems and 100% of correctional institutions, said LUMA.
“The company continues to prioritize restoring critical infrastructure, including hospitals, water plants, airports, and emergency services,” LUMA said.
The private power company, which is responsible for power transmission on the island, said the massive outage appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including a “failure in the protection system as initial trigger” and vegetation on a transmission line between the areas of Campaleche and Manatí, along the northern coast of the island.
This latest outage is the latest in a series of significant blackouts that have plagued the island in recent years, following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which destroyed much of the power grid.
In December, Puerto Rico experienced an island-wide blackout on New Year’s Eve when an underground power line failure plunged the island into darkness for two days.
Power outages have become so common in Puerto Rico that many residents have installed solar panels and batteries in their homes and businesses. The ongoing instability of the power grid has also led to protests, with many criticizing LUMA, which took over power transmission and distribution in 2021.
ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway and Doc Louallen contributed to this report.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen shares photo of meeting Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador. Via Sen. Chris Van Hollen/ X
(WASHINGTON) — After flying to El Salvador in search of a meeting with the Maryland resident who courts say was erroneously deported from the United States last month, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., shared a photo with Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
The Maryland senator, who flew to the country on Wednesday, shared a photo on X on Thursday evening of him sitting down with Abrego Garcia.
“I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return,” Van Hollen said in the post.
Abrego Garcia’s wife was told that the meeting between Abrego Garcia and Sen. Chris Van Hollen was set up by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, a source close to the family told ABC News.
The source said Abrego Garcia and his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, were not able to speak, adding that the family does not know where Abrego Garcia is being held.
In a statement from Vasquez provided by CASA, an immigration advocacy group that is representing the family, Abrego Garcia’s wife said her prayers have been answered.
“My children and my prayers have been answered,” Vasquez said. “The efforts of my family and community in fighting for justice are being heard, because I now know that my husband is alive. God is listening, and the community is standing strong.” “We still have so many questions, hopes, and fears,” Vasquez added. “I will continue praying and fighting for Kilmar’s return home,” she said.
The meeting comes after Van Hollen shared a video on social media earlier on Thursday showing guards stopping him and others from entering CECOT, the prison where Abrego Garcia is being held.
The Supreme Court and a Maryland federal judge ordered that the U.S. government “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. after the Department of Justice said in court filings that the 29-year-old father was wrongfully deported because of an “administrative error.”
The Trump administration has alleged it cannot bring him back and claimed outside of court that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang.
Further details of the status of Abrego Garcia’s case have not yet been provided.
The White House slammed Van Hollen for making the trip and advocating for Abrego Garcia, claiming with little evidence, that Abrego Garcia is a gang member.
The Justice Department has not charged Abrego Garcia with any gang-related crimes and his alleged MS-13 membership has been disputed in court.
ABC News’ Katherine Faulders contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Over half of Puerto Rico had their electricity restored by Thursday evening following an island-wide blackout that left 1.4 million customers in the dark and disrupted service at hospitals, its international airport and hotels, according to the Associated Press.
The outage, which began Wednesday afternoon, also left more than 400,000 residents without water. By Thursday evening, power had been restored to 57% of customers, while water service resumed for 83% of the affected population, the AP reported.
The cause of the blackout remains under investigation as of Thursday.
LUMA Energy, the private company responsible for power transmission on the island, said in a statement that the massive outage appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including a “failure in the protection system as initial trigger” and vegetation on a transmission line along the island’s northern coast.
“This sequence of failures triggered a chain of events that resulted in an island-wide outage,” LUMA said in the statement.
In a Wednesday X post, LUMA Energy said it could take two to three days to restore service to 90% of customers. It noted that the priority was restoring power to critical facilities like Centro Médico hospital in the capital San Juan.
Earlier in the day, LUMA Energy said the Palo Seco plant, just outside San Juan, came back online around 3 p.m., “which represents a key step toward system recovery.”Rep. Ritchie Torres criticized the ongoing power crisis in an Instagram post.
“The three million American citizens of Puerto Rico have long been denied affordable and reliable electricity — despite paying some of the highest utility rates in the United States,” Torres said. “Access to dependable power — a basic right most Americans take for granted — remains out of reach for millions on the island. As we speak, more than 400,000 Puerto Ricans are without electricity in the wealthiest nation on Earth. That is a national disgrace.”
The blackout is the latest in a series of significant power disruptions that have plagued the island in recent years, following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which destroyed much of the power grid. The island’s aging power infrastructure has been a persistent source of frustration for residents, who face frequent outages and some of the highest electricity rates in the U.S.
In December, Puerto Rico experienced an island-wide blackout on New Year’s Eve when an underground power line failure plunged the island into darkness for two days.
Power outages have become so common in Puerto Rico that many residents have installed solar panels and batteries in their homes and businesses. The ongoing instability of the power grid has also led to protests, with many criticizing LUMA, which took over power transmission and distribution in 2021.
(NEW YORK) — A federal grand jury in New York on Thursday returned a four-count indictment against alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione that charges him with two counts of stalking, firearms offense and murder through the use of a firearm, a charge that makes him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
Mangione is charged with stalking United Healthcare chief Brian Thompson outside the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan and then shooting him to death on Dec. 4, 2024.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has already signaled her intention to pursue the death penalty, which his lawyers are actively trying to stop.
Thompson was heading to an investors’ conference when he was shot and killed. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days later and was initially charged in a federal complaint in connection with the murder.
Earlier this month, Bondi said in a press release that she ordered the death penalty for Mangione to “carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
Defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo argued in a motion filed last week that Bondi’s statement, issued before Mangione was indicted on federal charges, was improper and “prejudiced the grand jury process.” She asked the judge to preclude the government from seeking the death penalty, and she demanded the government turn over documents and notes that relate to the attorney general’s directive.
“The stakes could not be higher. The United States government intends to kill Mr. Mangione as a political stunt,” the defense said.
Mangione also faces state charges in connection with the shooting. He has pleaded not guilty.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(FLORIDA) — The son of a local sheriff’s deputy allegedly opened fire near the Student Union at Florida State University in Tallahassee on Thursday, killing two people and injuring six others, authorities said.
The suspect — 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a current FSU student — was shot by responders and has been hospitalized, police said. He was taken into custody with non-life-threatening injuries, multiple law enforcement officials told ABC News.
Ikner is the son of a current Leon County sheriff’s deputy, according to Sheriff Walter McNeil. He had access to one of his mother’s personal weapons, which was one of the weapons found at the scene, the sheriff said. It appeared Ikner had a handgun and a shotgun with him, police said.
The suspect’s mother has been a deputy with the department for more than 18 years and “her service to this community has been exceptional,” McNeil said.
The suspect was also a “long-standing member” of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office’s Youth Advisory Council, McNeil said.
He was “engaged in a number of training programs that we have,” the sheriff said, adding, “Not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons.”
The campus has been secured, police said.
Police have not identified the two people killed but said they were not students.
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said it’s received six patients, all in fair condition.
In a statement to the Florida State University community, the institution’s president, Richard McCullough, called the shooting a “tragic and senseless act of violence at the heart of our campus.”
“Right now, our focus is on taking care of people. That means the victims and their families. It means students, faculty, and staff who were nearby and are now trying to make sense of what they experienced. And it means every person in our campus community who is feeling shaken or overwhelmed,” the president said.
The families of the victims in the shooting have been contacted, according to the latest update from the university’s FSU Alerts. Those who have been separated from their belongings during the shooting will have the opportunity to retrieve them at a later date.
Sophomore Paula Maldonado told ABC News she was in class near the Student Union when she heard what sounded like yelling outside.
“Right after, the active threat alarm went off,” she said. “Everyone in my class quickly turned off the lights, put desks to block off the door and hid by the front of the classroom.”
“We were quiet and some were whispering,” Maldonado said. “Some were also crying and helping each other. Like a student next to me told me to put my backpack in front of me to protect myself.”
“A cop came inside and I thought it was the shooter, so it was very scary. But after a couple of minutes another cop came back in and told us to go outside with our hands up, Maldonado said.
Student Daniella Streety told ABC News she was in the building across the street from the Student Union when alert sirens started blaring, and people who were standing outside ran into her building.
Students then fled from the Student Union as law enforcement flooded the scene, she said.
Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was killed in the Parkland high school shooting in South Florida in 2018, said some of Jaime’s classmates now attend FSU.
“Incredibly, some of them were just a part of their 2nd school shooting and some were in the student union today,” Guttenberg, who has become a gun reform supporter, wrote on social media. “As a father, all I ever wanted after the Parkland shooting was to help our children be safe. Sadly, because of the many people who refuse to do the right things about reducing gun violence, I am not surprised by what happened today.”
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “My heart breaks for the students, their families, and faculty at Florida State University. There is no place in American society for violence. Our entire nation is praying for the victims and their families.”
FSU said classes are canceled through Friday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Olivia Osteen, Sony Salzman and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
(LOS ANGELES) — Erik and Lyle Menendez’s long-awaited resentencing hearing was filled with fireworks and flared tempers on Thursday as the brothers’ attorney looks to get them released and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman tries to keep the brothers behind bars.
In a filing late Wednesday, prosecutors urged the court to obtain a copy of a recently completed risk assessment conducted on the brothers by the California Board of Parole Hearings at the request of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The filing by the district attorney’s office urged the judge to delay the sentencing if the court couldn’t get a copy of the report in time for the hearing.
The Menendez brothers’ attorney, Mark Geragos, spoke to reporters before court Thursday, calling Hochman’s last-minute attempt to delay the resentencing hearing a “Hail Mary.”
During Thursday’s hearing, the prosecution persistently argued the completed risk assessment is relevant.
Geragos called the prosecution’s attempt a “dog and pony show.” The prosecution shot back to the judge, saying Geragos’ comments were degrading, after which Geragos said, “You should be degraded!”
Judge Michael Jesic appeared annoyed by the bickering and said he needed more information about the governor’s office’s risk assessment report and how it can be used by the court.
Jesic said he needed “clarification from the governor’s office, because this is stupid.”
Court is in recess until 4:30 p.m. ET Thursday.
The brothers — who are serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez — are fighting to be released after 35 years behind bars.
If the resentencing hearing proceeds, it could take several days. Ten family members are ready to take the stand, ABC News has learned. A prison expert and former inmate may also testify.
This comes one week after Lyle and Erik Menendez had a major win in court when the judge ruled in their favor at a hearing regarding Hochman’s motion to withdraw the resentencing petition submitted by the previous DA, George Gascón, who supported resentencing and the brothers’ release.
In the DA’s three-hour argument last Friday, he argued the brothers — who were listening to the hearing via video — haven’t taken responsibility for their actions and he called their claims of self-defense part of a litany of “lies.” Hochman also dismissed the brothers’ claim that they were sexually abused by their father.
Menendez attorney Mark Geragos fired back, calling Hochman a “’90s Neanderthal” for refusing to believe the brothers.
The judge on Friday denied Hochman’s motion to withdraw and said the brothers’ resentencing hearing will proceed as planned this Thursday and Friday.
Geragos called the decision “probably the biggest day since they’ve been in custody.”
“They’ve waited a long time to get some justice,” he said.
Hochman said in a statement after the ruling, “We concluded that the case was not ripe for resentencing based on the Menendez brothers’ continuing failure to exhibit full insight and accept complete responsibility for the entire gamut of their criminal actions and cover-up, including the fabrications of their self-defense defense and their lies concerning their father being a violent rapist, their mother being a poisoner, and their trying to obtain a handgun for self-defense the day before the murder.”
“Until the Menendez brothers finally come clean with all their lies of self-defense and suborning and attempting to suborn perjury, they are not rehabilitated and pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety,” he said.
This potential path to freedom gained momentum in October, when Hochman’s predecessor, Gascón, announced he was in support of resentencing.
Gascón recommended their sentences of life without the possibility of parole be removed, and said they should instead be sentenced for murder, which would be a sentence of 50 years to life. Because both brothers were under 26 at the time of the crimes, they would be eligible for parole immediately with the new sentence.
Gascón’s office said its resentencing recommendations take into account many factors, including rehabilitation in prison and abuse or trauma that contributed to the crime. Gascón — who lost his reelection bid to Hochman in November — praised the work Lyle and Erik Menendez did behind bars to rehabilitate themselves and help other inmates.
Over 20 Menendez relatives are in support of the brothers’ release. Several of those relatives spoke with ABC News last week, including cousin Diane VanderMolen, who said Erik Menendez asked her to relay a message.
“They are truly, deeply sorry for what they did. And they are profoundly remorseful,” VanderMolen said. “They are filled with remorse over what they did. And through that, they have become pretty remarkable people.”
Besides resentencing, the brothers have two other possible paths to freedom.
Newsom announced in February that he was ordering the parole board to conduct a 90-day “comprehensive risk assessment” investigation into whether Lyle and Erik Menendez pose “an unreasonable risk to the public” if they’re granted clemency and released.
After the risk assessment, which Hochman said in the late Wednesday filing is now complete, Newsom said the brothers will appear at independent parole board hearings in June.
The other path is the brothers’ habeas corpus petition, which they filed in 2023 for a review of two new pieces of evidence not presented at trial: a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin eight months before the murders detailing his alleged abuse from his father, and allegations from a former boy band member who revealed in 2023 that he was raped by Jose Menendez.
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) —
The son of a local sheriff’s deputy allegedly opened fire near the Student Union at Florida State University in Tallahassee on Thursday, killing two people and injuring six others, authorities said.
The suspect — 20-year-old Pheonix Ikner, a current FSU student — was shot by responders and has been hospitalized, police said. He was taken into custody with non-life-threatening injuries, multiple law enforcement officials told ABC News.
Ikner is the son of a current Leon County sheriff’s deputy, according to Sheriff Walter McNeil. He had access to one of his mother’s personal weapons, which was one of the weapons found at the scene, the sheriff said. It appeared Ikner had a handgun and a shotgun with him, police said.
The suspect’s mother has been a deputy with the department for more than 18 years and “her service to this community has been exceptional,” McNeil said.
The suspect was also a “long-standing member” of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office’s Youth Advisory Council, McNeil said.
He was “engaged in a number of training programs that we have,” the sheriff said, adding, “Not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons.”
The campus has been secured, police said.
Police have not identified the two people killed but said they were not students.
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said it’s received six patients, all in fair condition.
Sophomore Paula Maldonado told ABC News she was in class near the Student Union when she heard what sounded like yelling outside.
“Right after, the active threat alarm went off,” she said. “Everyone in my class quickly turned off the lights, put desks to block off the door and hid by the front of the classroom.”
“We were quiet and some were whispering,” Maldonado said. “Some were also crying and helping each other. Like a student next to me told me to put my backpack in front of me to protect myself.”
“A cop came inside and I thought it was the shooter, so it was very scary. But after a couple of minutes another cop came back in and told us to go outside with our hands up, Maldonado said.
Student Daniella Streety told ABC News she was in the building across the street from the Student Union when alert sirens started blaring, and people who were standing outside ran into her building.
Students then fled from the Student Union as law enforcement flooded the scene, she said.
Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was killed in the Parkland high school shooting in South Florida in 2018, said some of Jaime’s classmates now attend FSU.
“Incredibly, some of them were just a part of their 2nd school shooting and some were in the student union today,” Guttenberg, who has become a gun reform supporter, wrote on social media. “As a father, all I ever wanted after the Parkland shooting was to help our children be safe. Sadly, because of the many people who refuse to do the right things about reducing gun violence, I am not surprised by what happened today.”
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “My heart breaks for the students, their families, and faculty at Florida State University. There is no place in American society for violence. Our entire nation is praying for the victims and their families.”
FSU said classes are canceled through Friday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Olivia Osteen, Sony Salzman and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — At least one person was killed and six others were injured in a shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee on Thursday, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.
One person is in critical condition and five are in serious condition, according to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.
The number of injured is subject to change, sources told ABC News, as law enforcement is actively searching to determine how many might be injured.
A suspect is in custody, multiple sources told ABC News, adding that the search for possible additional shooters is ongoing.
The shooting took place near the Student Union, according to an FSU Alert, which had advised students to continue to shelter in place due to reports of an active shooter.
Student Daniella Streety told ABC News she was in the building across the street from the Student Union when alert sirens started blaring, and people who were standing outside ran into her building.
Students then fled from the Student Union as law enforcement flooded the scene, she said.
Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was killed in the Parkland high school shooting in South Florida in 2018, said some of Jaime’s classmates now attend FSU.
“Incredibly, some of them were just a part of their 2nd school shooting and some were in the student union today,” Guttenberg, who has become a gun reform supporter, wrote on social media. “As a father, all I ever wanted after the Parkland shooting was to help our children be safe. Sadly, because of the many people who refuse to do the right things about reducing gun violence, I am not surprised by what happened today.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it’s “actively engaged in the incident.” The FBI is also assisting authorities at the university, an agency spokesperson told ABC News.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
FSU said classes are canceled through Friday.
Leon County public schools have been placed “on lockout as a precaution,” according to the school district.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “My heart breaks for the students, their families, and faculty at Florida State University. There is no place in American society for violence. Our entire nation is praying for the victims and their families.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Sony Salzman and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
(CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich.) — An elderly man with dementia was rescued by officials after his foot got stuck in a window and he ended up dangling from the second-story of his home in Michigan, the Canton Township Police Department told ABC News.
The incident, which occurred on April 12 at approximately 2:49 a.m., was captured on police body-worn camera footage, showing officers on the ground building a human pyramid to attempt to free the dangling man while others inside the home supported him with cables.
In the footage reviewed by ABC News, the man can be heard screaming, “I can’t hold this much longer, I really can’t.”
The man’s wife, Lynnette Barnett, told ABC Detroit affiliate WXYZ that her husband, who is in the late stages of dementia, was trying to get out of the room, was unsure how, so he decided to leave through the window.
“He’s not steady on his feet, the window he chose to come out of is the only window in the house that you need to prop open, because if you don’t prop it open, it will fall shut,” Barnett told WXYZ.
If the window had not shut on the man’s foot, Barnett said her husband “would have been dead.”
Officials, along with the help of “swift-acting neighbors” who provided a ladder, were successfully able to return the man to safety, intervening in a way that “saved this man’s life and prevented a tragedy,” Canton Police Chief Chad Baugh said in a statement to ABC News.
“This incident reflects the heart of public service, and we remain committed to working with every available resource to provide wraparound support for those facing cognitive challenges,” Baugh said.
