The Florida State University (FSU) community is devastated by the tragic death of Robert Morales. The widely loved 57-year-old dining coordinator took three bullets and died in an act of campus violence that shocked the nation. The latest shooting injured five adults. Unfortunately, this incident has only compounded the tragedy surrounding this event.
Morales worked at FSU’s student union center, where he was known for his dedication to the job and his connection with students. His brother, Ricardo Morales, remembered him as “a big, lovable teddy bear.” He made a point that, even though he was six seven, he was meek and mild. “He was a massive dude, but the gentlest giant ever,” added Ricardo.
A graduate of FSU with a bachelor’s degree in criminology, Robert Morales was a well-known fixture in his adopted Tallahassee community. Besides his university responsibilities, he continued to be a hands-on high school football coach. He used his newly found free time to mentor young athletes. He was an ardent fan of the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was never afraid to root for FSU when it was appropriate. “He rooted for them second, because he had to,” Ricardo noted. “They knew deep down inside, he was a Hurricane.”
Additionally, Morales’s death was preventable. Accounts indicate that he was killed in a bar fight in Miami in 1982. This traumatic event serves to further complicate an already complex life. The accused recent shooter, 20-year-old Ikner, had access to a gun linked to Morales’s family. Most strikingly, Robert was the stepson of a sheriff’s deputy.
As his deeply grieving family mourns, the effects of Morales’s death echo far and wide, reaching beyond his immediate family. “He was a family man through and through,” Ricardo said. Morales’s daughter was en route to visit her cousin when she received the devastating news of her father’s passing.
Artist Ricardo Morales paints a mural to address his frustration about violence in society depicted in recent events. “We would love for the world to go in the direction of caring about people over money and business, because this is where this problem comes from, trying to make a buck,” he stated. His remarks illustrate a larger frustration with the cultural conditions leading to these types of cultural tragedies.
The Leon High School Athletics Department remembered Robert Morales as a man who was an icon in his community. His legacy of dedication to developing the next generation of sports fans through his tireless hours coaching kids was immeasurable. Ricardo emphasized this aspect of his brother’s character: “He liked to be around the kids, made sure they were getting what they needed.”
Over the past few years, Morales was beset with hypocrisy and health travails. He received dialysis three days a week while waiting for a kidney to receive the transplant. “He’d been doing dialysis… fighting to stay alive for his family,” Ricardo recalled. His determination to overcome these obstacles showcased his love for his family and his dedication to being there for them.