Douglas Olsen
In recent years, there have been several instances of university students being killed or involved in killing another person. In one notable case, four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed in an off-campus residence in 2022. The suspect, Bryan Christopher Kohberger, was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder. In another incident, two female students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville died in a suspected murder-suicide, with both found with gunshot wounds. Additionally, there have been shooting incidents at Florida State University and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, resulting in the deaths of students and non-students. These tragic events have shocked and saddened the university communities, leading to counseling services, vigils, and cancellations of classes and exams.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | November 13, 2022 |
| University | University of Idaho |
| Location | Moscow, Idaho |
| Victims | Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves |
| Suspect | Bryan Christopher Kohberger |
| Weapon | Knife |
| Date | May 19, 2025 |
| University | University of Wisconsin-Platteville |
| Location | Wilgus Hall, Baraboo, Wisconsin |
| Victims | Kelsie Martin, Hallie Helms |
| Weapon | Gun |
| Date | April 17, 2025 |
| University | Florida State University |
| Location | Tallahassee, Florida |
| Victims | Two people |
| Suspect | Phoenix Ikner |
| Weapon | Gun |
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What You'll Learn
University of Idaho killings
On November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students—Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20—were fatally stabbed in an off-campus residence. The killings occurred sometime between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m. The victims had spent a typical Saturday night out near the university campus and returned to the house in the early hours of Sunday.
The investigation of the stabbings was led by the Moscow Police Department (MPD) and supported by the Idaho State Police (ISP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Altogether, almost 130 members of law enforcement from the three agencies worked on the case. Autopsies on the four victims were performed in Spokane, Washington. The Latah County coroner stated that the victims all appeared to have been stabbed multiple times with a large knife, with fatal wounds in the chest and upper body. At least one victim appeared to have tried to fend off their attacker, with defensive stab wounds found on her hands. The victims may have been attacked while sleeping in their beds. All four deaths were deemed homicide by stabbing.
On December 30, 2022, Bryan Christopher Kohberger, a 28-year-old doctoral student in criminology at Washington State University, was arrested in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, on four counts of first-degree murder and one felony count of burglary. He was detained without bond at the Monroe County Correctional Facility in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Kohberger's phone history showed dozens of pictures of female students from the University of Idaho and Washington State University, and searches including "sociopathic traits in college student" and pornography with the keywords "drugged" and "sleeping."
On February 24, 2023, University of Idaho president C. Scott Green announced that the house where the killings occurred had been donated to the university and would be demolished. A memorial garden for the victims, the Vandal Healing Garden, was opened on the university campus in 2024. Scholarships in the name of three of the victims—Kernodle, Chapin, and Mogen—have been created.
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University of Wisconsin-Platteville murder-suicide
Two students, Kelsie Martin and Hallie Helms, both 22, died in a suspected murder-suicide at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The incident took place on Monday, May 19, 2025, at Wilgus Hall, a student residence hall. Both students were found with gunshot wounds, and Helms was pronounced dead at the scene, while Martin was transported to Southwest Health and later flown to UW Hospital, where she died. A preliminary autopsy determined that Martin died from a gunshot wound, while Helms died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, suggesting a murder-suicide.
Martin, a psychology major, was an assistant resident director at Wilgus Hall and was from Beloit, Wisconsin. Helms, an elementary education major, had transferred to UW-Platteville in the spring of 2023 after previously attending UW-Baraboo. She was a magna cum laude graduate and was from Baraboo, Wisconsin.
Following the incident, the university's police arrived at the scene and began investigating. Students were escorted out of the residence halls, and photos captured the aftermath of the shooting, with students waiting to be escorted to their dorms to collect their belongings. The university cancelled final exams for the remainder of the week and offered counselling services to the campus community, including a toll-free emotional support line.
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville released a statement on Facebook, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support they received and emphasising the closeness of their community. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers also shared his condolences on Facebook, stating that he was briefed on the situation and would remain in close contact with university officials.
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Florida State University shooting
On April 17, 2025, a mass shooting occurred on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. The suspect, 20-year-old student Phoenix Ikner, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder. Two people were killed, and six others were injured. The deceased victims were two adult males who were not students at the university. They were Tiru Chaba, a South Carolina resident who was on campus as an employee of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality, and Robert Morales, the university's dining coordinator.
Ikner opened fire near the student union, and a viral video at the university shows a person walking past and not helping a woman who was shot and bleeding out on the grass, instead choosing to drink Starbucks coffee. The video caused outrage on Twitter. Two firearms were found by police: one on Ikner and one in a car parked nearby. One of the firearms was the former service weapon of Ikner's stepmother, a Leon County Sheriff's deputy.
Ikner is the stepson of a school reserve deputy from the Leon County Sheriff's Office. He espoused white supremacist views and was removed from a political club, according to the group's president, Reid Seybold. Ikner spent weeks in the hospital recovering from his injuries and was then booked into the Wakulla County Detention Center.
Florida State University is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, with 43,701 students enrolled in 2023 from all 50 states and 135 countries. The university issued an alert at 12:01 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) warning of a shooting at the Student Union area, and the Florida State University Police Department detained Ikner. A search was made for any additional shooters, and some local TV stations reported that two suspects were involved, but only Ikner was apprehended.
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University of Wisconsin-Platteville female student shooting
Two female students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville died in a suspected murder-suicide at a residence hall on Monday, May 19, 2025. The students, 22-year-olds Kelsie Martin and Hallie Helms, were found with gunshot wounds at Wilgus Hall, a student residence hall.
Helms, an elementary education major, was pronounced dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Martin, a psychology major and assistant resident director, was transported to Southwest Health and then flown to UW Hospital, where she later died. A preliminary autopsy confirmed that Martin died from a gunshot wound.
The incident occurred at approximately 4 p.m. local time, and the university's police arrived at the scene following a call for a "disturbance." Photos following the incident captured college students being escorted out of the residence halls as police investigated. The university said that no other subjects are suspected to have been involved in the incident, and authorities quickly determined there was no ongoing threat. Chancellor Tammy Evetovich mourned the loss of Martin and Helms, saying that the well-being of their community was a top priority.
The investigation into the incident is active and ongoing, with the UW-Platteville Police Department asking anyone with information to come forward. The university canceled final exams for the remainder of the week, and counseling is being offered to the campus community.
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Bryan Kohberger's arrest and charges
Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old criminology PhD student at Washington State University, was arrested on December 30, 2022, more than six weeks after the killings of four University of Idaho students. He was taken into custody in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one felony count of burglary.
Kohberger was studying at a university campus less than 10 miles away from the University of Idaho. He was terminated from his teaching assistant role at Washington State University on December 19, 2022, due to concerns about his behaviour and overall performance.
On the night of the murders, in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho. The victims were Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21.
Kohberger was arrested at his parents' home in Pennsylvania. His lawyers claim that law enforcement broke the front door, shattered the basement door, and held his family at gunpoint. They also allege that Kohberger was "zip-tied" and surrounded by police at gunpoint when he made statements to the arresting officers without being advised of his rights.
Following Kohberger's arrest, investigators seized a cache of items from his parents' home, including gloves, flashlights, clothing, shoes, knives, cell phones, laptops, books, and personal documents. DNA evidence played a crucial role in Kohberger's arrest, with prosecutors using genetic genealogy to tie him to DNA found at the crime scene. However, Kohberger's defence team is challenging the way authorities gathered search warrants and obtained DNA evidence.
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Frequently asked questions
In the early morning of November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed in an off-campus residence. The victims were Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves. The suspect, Bryan Christopher Kohberger, was arrested on four counts of first-degree murder and one felony count of burglary.
Two female students, Kelsie Martin and Hallie Helms, died in a suspected murder-suicide at Wilgus Hall, a student residence hall. The incident occurred on May 19, 2025, just days after their graduation.
On April 17, 2025, a shooting occurred at Florida State University's campus in Tallahassee, resulting in two fatalities and six injuries. The suspect, Phoenix Ikner, was identified as the 20-year-old son of a local sheriff's deputy. Ikner had transferred to FSU from Tallahassee State College and held extreme political beliefs.
Yes, due to extensive media coverage and strong emotions in the community of Moscow, Idaho, the trial was moved to Boise, about 300 miles away. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
