'Senseless act': Gunman posed as customer before opening fire at Tallahassee yoga studio
Jeff Burlew
Scott Beierle posed as a customer inside the Hot Yoga Tallahassee studio before opening fire with a handgun without any warning, according to the Tallahassee Police Department.
Officer Damon Miller, a spokesman for TPD, said investigators came to that determination after interviewing dozens of witnesses and reviewing evidence at the scene in Midtown.
Miller said investigators are still trying to determine his connection to the victims or the business. They're hoping evidence at his home will point to a motive.
"Investigators have been working around the clock to uncover more information and gain clarity as to why this senseless act occurred," Miller said.
Jeff Binkley, the father of slain 21-year-old Maura Binkley, said police told him the incident was a random act.
It’s not clear why Beierle was in Tallahassee. He attended Florida State University several years ago but most recently resided in Deltona. He had a room at a local hotel, though police didn’t say which one. Officers searched the hotel room and began a search of his residence in Volusia County this morning, Miller said.
Miller said multiple search warrants have been obtained for the Beierle’s electronic devices and social media profiles. Violent crimes investigators and forensic specialists are attending autopsies of the dead.
TPD is asking anyone with information to call 850-891-4200 or Crime Stoppers at 850-574-TIPS (8477).
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Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.