A shooting took place at a Tallahassee, Florida, yoga studio on Friday, November 2, leaving two people dead and at least five others injured, according to multiple reports from Reuters, CNN and the Associated Press.
The gunman — identified by the Tallahassee Police Department as 40-year-old Scott Paul Beierle from Deltona, Florida — opened fire at the Hot Yoga Tallahassee studio after pistol-whipping a man upon entering, according to CNN. Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo told reporters that the suspect then fatally shot himself.
Members of the class reportedly fought Beierle off in an attempt to save themselves and others. “There were indications that several people not only fought back but tried to save other people,” DeLeo told Reuters reporters.
A 911 call regarding the incident was made at 5:37 p.m. on Friday evening, just moments after a hot yoga flow class was set to begin, according to the schedule on the studio’s website.
The two victims left dead were identified as 61-year-old Nancy Van Vessem and 21-year-old Maura Binkley.
Mayor Andrew Gillum spoke out following the shooting. “The truth is that these occurrences have become far too frequent in our society,” he said. “I would ask that the community continue to lift up the victims, those who are still recovering from their injuries.”
Gillum told reporters that one victim was shot nine times and another had a bullet pass through her body and were in stable condition at a local hospital. Three other victims have been released from medical care.
The shooting took place less than one week after a gunman opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on October 27, killing 11 people and injuring six others. Robert Bowers, 48, allegedly began shooting as he walked into the place of worship yelling, “All Jews must die.”