Police stunned by food, outpouring of support from FSU students after deadly campus shooting
A Florida State University student wanted to show her appreciation for the men and women in law enforcement who kept so many people safe after a recent mass shooting on campus left two people dead and six others injured.
So, she left them some cookies — along with a heartfelt "thank you" note.
The Tallahassee Police Department shared the note, delivered by a senior at FSU, in a social media post on Monday.
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"Thank you for risking your life on Thursday, April 17th," the note said.
"As students at Florida State, we are so thankful for your bravery and courage. Your actions did not go unnoticed. We hope you enjoy these cookies as a small token [of] our eternal gratitude."
She wasn't the only student.
"The outpouring of love from the community has been outstanding, but especially from the students themselves," Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell told Fox News Digital.
It was on display during tense moments on FSU's campus last week when a gunman opened fire at the student union.
Within minutes, the suspected shooter, later identified as Phoenix Ikner, 20, was shot by officers and taken into custody, police said.
But while police were working to ensure the rest of the campus was safe, some students "took it upon themselves to go to CVS and buy waters – several cases of waters – for the officers and just brought them back themselves," Revell said.
"We've had, since then, cookies, doughnuts, sandwiches that the students have all brought over just to say thank you for being there for them," Revell revealed.
"It just means more when you know the people [who] are doing it were directly impacted by the tragedy."
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Some members of FSU's Cuban-American Student Association (CASA) showed up at the Tallahassee Police Department on Tuesday to provide lunch.
Maria Carla Gonzalez Paz, vice president of the group, said she and fellow members delivered Cuban sandwiches catered by Habana's Boardwalk, a Cuban restaurant in Tallahassee. (See the video at the top of this article.)
"We kind of just said we want to thank them and we don't really know how," Paz said. "So, we said Cuban sandwiches are a pretty good one for everybody."
Cuban sandwiches are not only significant because of their culture; they're also a link back to one of the two victims killed in last week's shooting.
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Robert Morales, 57, was a Cuban-American restaurateur who grew up in Miami. He graduated from FSU and eventually founded Gordos Cuban Cuisine, a popular hangout spot near campus.
He was working as FSU's dining coordinator when he was killed.
Paz said the Cuban sandwiches were the best way they could think of to honor Morales and show their gratitude to the police.
"You don't have to be Cuban or even know what it is," Paz said. "It has ham and cheese, mustard, pickles. And everybody can get down with a ham and cheese sandwich."
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CASA planned to deliver another round of Cuban sandwiches to the FSU Police Department on Wednesday.
After delivering lunch to the Tallahassee Police Department, Paz and her companions went to Gordos for Cuban sandwiches in honor of Morales.
Morales regularly took part in CASA's annual "A Taste of Cuba" event at a Tallahassee senior center, where he provided catering, Paz said. Some of the older executive board members who were close to Morales "were heartbroken" by his death, she said.
"It just affected our entire organization," she added.
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During FSU's campus vigil last Friday, souvenir Gordos cups could be seen with candles placed inside of them.
CASA members went around leaving notes of condolences next to them, Paz said.
Meanwhile, Revell told Fox News Digital that he and his officers are appreciative of the kind words and food they've received.
The Tallahassee Police Department's slogan is "here for you."
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"It's a way of life," Revell said. "We truly believe that. And I think the students see that, they realize that, they know it and they trust it."
Coming from students, many of whom likely have limited budgets, makes it more special, Revell said.
Their visits and gifts "just mean the world to us," he said.
"It means the world to my officers. … It just truly means even more to have that outpouring of love and just their desire to say, 'Thank you.'"