A former New Jersey police lieutenant says police "did an outstanding job in responding" to Thursday's shooting at Florida State University, but there should be concerns about how the suspect, the 20-year-old son of a sheriff's deputy, got his hands on his mother's former service weapon.
"The police did do an outstanding job in responding and getting as many assets as they could to that campus," Steve Rogers, who retired from the Nutley, New Jersey, Police Department, told "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" on Newsmax. "I believe they were responsible with regard to not getting information out before they got all of the facts."
But "there had to be, at least in my view, signs. This guy didn't wake up one morning and say, 'I'm going to go to the school and shoot it up.' There had to be some signs, some indicators for quite a long time in order for this individual to do what he did.
"And by the way, I do question whether that, where and when and how did he get his hands on that gun in view of the fact that the parent, all right, is a law enforcement officer," he added.
The Associated Press reported that two people were killed and six others wounded in the attack, which began around midday outside the student union. People ran for cover in a bowling alley and a freight elevator in the building.
Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting.
The suspect, identified by police as Phoenix Ikner, is believed to be a Florida State student.
He had access to a weapon that belongs to his mother, who has been with the Leon County Sheriff's Office for over 18 years, said Sheriff Walt McNeil. Police said they believe Ikner opened fire using his mother's former service handgun.
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