Tallahassee shooting: Victims and Gunman Identified

Nicole Chavez and Chuck Johnston of CNN wrote:

A man opened fire at a yoga studio in Tallahassee, Florida, killing two people and injuring five others, before turning the gun on himself, police said.

People inside Hot Yoga Tallahassee appeared to have fought Scott Paul Beierle, a 40-year-old man from Deltona, Florida, and tried to save themselves and others, Chief of Police Michael DeLeo said.

Police received 911 calls about a shooting at 5:37 p.m. on Friday -- just minutes after a hot yoga flow class was scheduled to begin, according to the studio's website.

When officers arrived, they found that six people were shot and one person who was pistol-whipped.

As of Saturday, two of the victims have died. They were identified as Nancy Van Vessem, 61, and Maura Binkley, 21.

Two other women were in stable condition in the hospital. One was shot nine times and the other had a bullet pass through her body, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and Democratic nominee in the Florida governor's race told reporters.

"The truth is that these occurrences have become far too frequent in our society," Gillum said. "I would ask that the community continue to lift up the victims, those who are still recovering from their injuries."

Gillum met the victims Friday night after he returned from a Shabbat service in South Florida honoring the 11 people killed in a Pittsburgh synagogue last weekend.

The three other victims of Friday's shooting have been released from the hospital, officials said.

The gunman, who was already dead when officers arrived, died of a possible self-inflicted gunshot wound, DeLeo said.

He is believed to have acted alone, the chief said, and there's no threat to the community.

It's unclear what may have motivated the attack, police said.

Victims: A doctor and a college student

Chief DeLeo said investigators were unable to immediately draw a connection between the gunman and either of the victims.

Binkley was a student at Florida State University and Van Vessem was a faculty member at the university's medical school, CNN affiliate WCTV reported.

"There are no words to express the shock and grief we feel after learning of the deaths of Maura Binkley and Dr. Nancy Van Vessem. 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," FSU President John Thrasher said in a statement to the Tallahassee TV station.

"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," he added.

Van Vessem was a doctor specializing in internal medicine who worked as chief medical director for Florida's Capital Health Plan, the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper reported.

"As we process the gut-wrenching act of violence that took place this evening in a place of peace in our community, we hold in our hearts everyone who is affected and lift them up in love," officials tweeted from the city's verified account.

CNN's Danielle Hackett, Patrick Cornell and Steve Almasy contributed to this report.

Dakin Andone of CNN wrote:Police have identified the women who were killed Friday when a gunman stormed a yoga studio in Tallahassee, Florida, and opened fire.

Nancy Van Vessem was a doctor. Maura Binkley was a college student. Both were part of the Florida State University community.

Here's what we know about them:

Maura Binkley

Binkley was a 21-year-old student at Florida State, according to school President John Thrasher.

In a statement posted to its Facebook page, the Delta Delta Delta sorority called Binkley a "beloved sister."

"As a leader in the (Alpha Eta) chapter, Maura embodied the Tri Delta woman -- brave, bold and kind," the statement from President Kimberlee Sullivan said. "Our hearts are with her family, our sisters and the FSU community during this difficult time."

Nancy Van Vessem

Van Vessem, 61, was a doctor who was chief medical director for Capital Health Plan, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. She was also a faculty member at Florida State, Thrasher said.

According to the Florida State College of Medicine's website, Van Vessem was in charge of coordinating third and fourth year clerkship rotations in internal medicine on the school's Tallahassee campus. She had gotten her medical degree from St. Louis University, the website said, and her research focus was "restructuring health care for people with multiple chronic diseases."

Big Bend Hospice in Tallahassee shared a tribute to Van Vessem on its Facebook page, calling the doctor "a physician and leader who touched countless lives as Chief Medical Officer at Capital Health Plan."

"Dr. Van Vessem was part of the Big Bend Hospice community," the statement said. "She was our friend and a champion for end-of-life care."