There appears to be no apparent motive behind a shooting Thursday at Florida State University or connections between the victims and the alleged shooter, Rep. Neal Dunn, whose district includes the Tallahassee area, told Newsmax on Friday.
"This practice suggests a mental illness, and it is not the first suggestion of mental illness in the shooter," the Florida Republican said during an appearance on "Wake Up America," declining to commit further on that possibility, "because I think it's unfair."
But, Dunn added, the shootings point more to "mental instability than any division of population in Leon County."
The alleged shooter has been identified as Phoenix Ikner, 20. Initially, he was identified as the son of Jessica Ikner, an 18-year veteran deputy of the Leon County Sheriff's Office, but court documents indicate the deputy is his stepmother, not his biological mother, reports ABC News.
Phoenix Ikner was shot and wounded by police. Officials said he had used Jessica Ikner's former service weapon in the shootings, which killed two and injured six.
He was a Florida State student.
"It's obviously a blow to the community, especially a community like this, which is really a very idyllic little college town," said Dunn. "[It has] a couple of universities and a community college, and it's usually very quiet."
Still, the law enforcement strategy in the district is "outstanding," the congressman said, with the state capital being in Tallahassee.
"The city police, Tallahassee City, the sheriff's department, the Florida Highway Patrol, the state, FBI, everybody is present, and they were all present literally within the first few minutes of the situation on campus at FSU," said Dunn. "They're all very used to working with each other. They worked hard… I personally know the sheriff, the chief of police for the city, and the campus. The police work very well."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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