FSU police officer shot school shooting suspect while 'straddling' his motorcycle: Officials

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A Florida State University police officer is being credited by a grand jury with ending the deadly shooting threat 3 minutes after it began by shooting the alleged suspect in the face.

New details regarding the April 17 shooting – timeline, the victims, the alleged suspect's movements, and FSU Police's response – were included in an unsealed grand jury indictment earlier this week.

The accused gunman, a 20-year-old student and the son of a Florida sheriff's school resource officer, was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Two people were killed, and five others were hurt in the shooting.

The indictment highlights the actions of FSU Police Officer Cody Poppell, who responded to the shooting, drove his motorcycle over a sidewalk and onto campus to get a better look at the accused shooter, and fired multiple shots to end the threat.

"This was our community's worst nightmare. We are proud to host students of all ages and now the horror of a school shooting has fallen upon us. While the results are tragic, it could have been so much worse," the conclusion reads.

"We have heard that our local law enforcement has specifically trained for this event. All our officers have a clear mandate: In the case of an active shooter, you must stop the threat immediately, no matter what the cost. This is what happened here."

"We watched as Officer Cody Poppell drove his motorcycle towards the gunfire he could only hear. We watched the panicked students running past Strozier Linbrary, and yet he accelerated up the sidewalks so he could enter the space between Moore Auditorium and the Student Union. There, we could clearly see the gunman chasing and shooting at another potential victim. He stopped and shot several times while still straddling his running motorcycle. He struck him [the gunman] once in the face."

"There is no question others would have died absent his actions."

The indictment notes that other officers were nearby in close support, noting that the shooting stopped 3 minutes and 3 second after it began.

FOX 35 reached out to FSU on Thursday for comment on Officer Poppell's commendation.

FSU shooting: 3 minutes of terror

The details in the indictment describe a terrifying 3 minutes.

• 11:57AM | Ikner parks an orange Hummer, registered to his dad, on a service drive north of Moore Auditorium and east of the student union. He steps out of the vehicle with a shotgun and points it at a student. The gun malfunctions.
• 11:57:24 | Ikner ditches the shotgun and grabs a .45 handgun and begins shooting. The suspect is seen on video running towards the Student Union. Two people have been shot.
• 11:58:22 | Ikner enters the Student Union via the east main entrance and runs across to the west main entrance.
• 11:58:36 | Ikner exits the west main entrance doors shooting at multiple people. He shoots and kills one person. Later identified as Tiru Chabba.
• 11:58:43 | Ikner runs left out of the west entrance and comes back to Chabba, who is dead, and shoots him again.
• 11:58:54 - 11:59:09 | Ikner runs after a group of people outside the bookstore and is actively firing shots. One person is shot. Ikner runs back towards the bookstore shooting at another person.
• 11:59:30 | Ikner enters the Student Union's west entrance and runs toward the food court.
• 11:59:42 | Ikner shoots and kills Robert Morales in front of Pollo/Brooklyn eatery. An arrest affidavit states Morales was shot in the back while running away. Ikner then shoots him again after he is on the ground.
• 11:59:54 - 12:00:05PM | Ikner chases another student through the foot court and shoots at her. This happens in front of Panda Express.
• 12:00:14 | Ikner chases people on the east side of the Student Union.
• 12:00:27 | Ikner is shot in the face and falls to the ground between Moore Auditorium and the Student Union.

After being shot, Ikner was taken into custody where he identified himself to officers, the indictment and arrest warrants state. He was taken to the hospital where he stayed for several weeks to be treated.

He was released and booked into the Leon County Jail on charges of murder and attempted murder. He was then transferred to nearby county's jail since his stepmom works for the Leon County Sheriff's Office.

New details in the FSU shooting

What we know about the guns

Officials previously said two guns had been found: a 12 gauge shotgun and a .45 pistol.

The indictment alleges Ikner pointed the shotgun initially at a female student, but that the gun malfunctioned and did not fire. Ikner put the shotgun back in his vehicle and grabbed a handgun.

Ikner allegedly took the shotgun and the handgun from his parent's house, the indictment said. Officials said the handgun belong to his stepmom and used to be her service weapon. After her department got new equipment, she was given the option to buy her gun, which she did.

No known motive, but "merely wanted to kill as many people as possible"

The indictment notes that Ikner is believed to have acted alone. It does not identify a specific motive in the shooting.

"The victims were totally random. He shot men and women of various ages, races, and lifestyles. All evidence suggests he merely waned to kill as many people as possible, not that he was targeting any person or group. Th only consistent trait of each victim was their innocence," the indictment reads.

The indictment also notes that there were no known warning signs ahead of the shooting.

Both Leon County Schools and Tallahassee State College showed no signs of mental health referrals or treatment, according to the indictment. Ikner attended one semester at FSU and did not seek mental health counseling or receive a referral. There were also no reports of violent threats or concerning comments, the indictment reads.

Ikner made his first appearance in court. He appeared via Zoom. Ikner did not speak. A judge ruled that he be held without bond.

FSU shooting: News & Updates