TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — New footage from the FSU student union shooting shows suspect Phoenix Ichner chasing the victim as chaos spreads inside and outside the building.
Investigators say surveillance footage shows Phoenix Ichner chasing the fleeing victim with a gun. That video, along with body camera footage from responding FSU officers, is expected to play a central role in his upcoming trial, scheduled to begin Oct. 19.
State Attorney Jack Campbell said he is confident the case will be tried in Tallahassee and will proceed as scheduled. “So I think we’re going to go to trial this fall, which is good for the case and good for the community,” Campbell told WCTV.
The schedule was announced after Circuit Judge Lance Neff received permission from the Florida Supreme Court to proceed with the case.
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Mr. Ichner has been out of public view for nearly a year, and his lawyer has waived his appearance in court while he remains in prison.
Newly released logs of Ichner’s interactions with the chatbot allegedly reveal disturbing messages about suicide, mass shootings, guns, and even questions about how the country would react if there was a shooting at FSU.
Dean LeBoeuf, an attorney representing the Morales family, said the message was alarming.
This is appalling and we believe there are safeguards in place that are removed or ignored and this is simply not acceptable. There must be accountability for this.
Prosecutors say chatbot logs and campus videos will be key evidence in their case for the death penalty.
Ichner is accused of killing two people, injuring five others, and traumatizing the FSU community.
Ichner’s case was originally scheduled for a status hearing this week, days before the first anniversary of her death, but that hearing was postponed until May, according to court documents.
