TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — One day after being released from the hospital, Phoenix Ikner, 20, made his first appearance at the Leon County Courthouse.

Tallahassee police said Ikner made his way through FSU’s campus on April 17 — taking the lives of both Robert Morales and Tiru Chabba, while also injuring six others.

He is facing murder charges and will be held without bond.

“You’ve been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder, probable cause has already been determined,” Judge Monique Richardson said in court Tuesday.

Ikner’s face was still swollen after he was shot in the jaw by officers. Police said he refused to comply with their orders.

Ikner underwent multiple surgeries during his near month-long hospital stay and now is being held at the Wakulla County detention facility, since his mom works in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.

The courtroom was filled with Florida State University students. 8 On Your Side caught up with two of them who expressed their anger and frustration, as they reflect on their experiences from the campus shooting.
“Having to send out the text to my friends that were in the union and waiting hours to hear back, pacing, waiting, nervous, scared that I wasn’t going to hear back from,” said Noah Brown, who is in FSU’s master’s program. “It was, it was harrowing. It was just horrifying.”

The students shared that they couldn’t pinpoint why, but they each had a strong urge to show up to court.

“I lived four blocks away, and if I hadn’t come, I would have been kicking myself for years to come,” said Reid Seybold, FSU senior political science student.

“A lot of a lot of pain in there, praying for the families, but there is a sense of obligation to see it through,” Brown said. “Being just a couple blocks away like, you have to come here and watch it, and I hope the jury and the judge, I hope they give him what he deserves. And I believe that’s staying in prison for the rest of his life.”

Attorneys for Chabba’s family released a statement, saying Ikner’s first appearance in court is the start of the transparency process:

This is an incredibly difficult day for Tiru Chabba’s family, particularly his wife and two young children. Our hope is that, through the thorough and transparent investigation and prosecution of the events surrounding last month’s shooting, today’s court appearance will mark the first steps toward closure for a family that suffered so much.

That journey is far from over and we have a long way left to go. But Mr. Chabba’s family would like to thank the Tallahassee Police Department and State Attorney Jack Campbell for their dedication to ensuring that justice is done for their family and all those scarred by this unthinkable act of violence.

A statement by attorneys Bakari Sellers. Jim Bannister and J Robert Bell III.

Ikner was ordered by Judge Monique Richardson to have no contact with victims, the family of victims and any other witnesses on campus.