The Slatest

Gunman Opens Fire at Florida Yoga Studio, Kills Two People Before Turning Gun on Himself

Matthew Rodin, left and Susan Turner comfort Melissa Hutchinson who rendered aid to some of the victims of a mass shooting November 2, 2018 in Tallahassee, Florida.
Matthew Rodin, left and Susan Turner comfort Melissa Hutchinson who rendered aid to some of the victims of a mass shooting November 2, 2018 in Tallahassee, Florida. Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images

A Friday night at a small, upscale shopping center in Tallahassee took a tragic turn when a gunman opened fire at a yoga studio, killing two people and wounding five others before killing himself. The gunman, identified as 40-year-old Scott Paul Beierle, shot a total of six people and pistol-whipped another. The two fatal victims were identified as Dr. Nancy Van Vessem, 61, and Maura Binkley, 21.

Both Binkley and Van Vessem had ties to Florida State University, reports the Tallahassee Democrat. “To lose one of our students and one of our faculty members in this tragic and violent way is just devastating to the Florida State University family,” the university’s president, John Thrasher, said. “We feel this loss profoundly and we send our deepest sympathies to Maura’s and Nancy’s loved ones while we pray for the recovery of those who were injured.”

Although some outlets have reported that the shooting was part of a domestic dispute that has yet to be officially confirmed. “In my public service career I have had to be on some bad scenes. This is the worst,” City Commissioner Scott Maddox wrote on Facebook. “Please pray.”

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who is the Democratic nominee for governor, left the campaign trail to return to Tallahassee Friday night. “I’m deeply appreciative of law enforcement’s quick response to the shooting at the yoga facility in Tallahassee today,” Gillum said. “No act of gun violence is acceptable.” The shooting comes four days before Florida’s gubernatorial election. Polls show Gillum with a slight lead although the race has been characterized as too close to call.