N.J. Native Shot In Head, Killed In Florida Mall Shooting - UPDATE

A man shot and killed two people, including a New Jersey native, before turning the gun on himself at a gym in a Florida mall on Saturday, according to reports.

Witnesses identified the shooter as Abeku Wilson, a 33-year-old body builder who had worked at Equinox in Coral Gables, Florida, but had been let go shortly before he returned to the gym with a handgun, took aim and opened fire, according to The Miami Herald.

Wilson shot Janine Ackerman, 35, the gym’s general manager and a native of Monroeville, New Jersey, and Marios Hortis, 42, a fitness manager, according to the report. One person said Ackerman had been shot in the head.

At 12:55 p.m., an officer on foot patrol at the Shops at Merrick Park noticed people running. Police then were informed by security that a shooting was in progress inside the Equinox Gym inside the mall, police said in a release.

Police responded and secured the area within minutes. All other businesses locked down or evacuated. First aid personnel responded and treated the victims, and two were transported to the Ryder Trauma Center.

"This tragic incident was never an active shooter situation. It is believed that all involved in this shooting knew and worked with each other and were targeted specifically," said Coral Gables Chief Edward Hudak.

Ackerman moved to Florida from Monroeville and parlayed her Florida International University education into becoming a well-known, well-liked person at some of Miami Beach’s best-known hotels, according to The Miami Herald.

Ackerman studied on a field hockey scholarship at Florida International University, where Vice Provost Steve Moll, who taught Ackerman while she was working on a master's degree in hospitality, described her to 6abc as "the whole package."

"She was smart, she was athletic, she was charming, she was determined," he said told the station, adding she was a hard worker who shined at everything she set her mind to.

"My initial reaction was, 'No, this can't be. Why would anybody want to hurt such a lovely person,'" he told the station.

The New Jersey native was once chosen out of more than 1,000 students as the student leader for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, according to 6abc.

Ackerman made her name in the industry by starting as supervisor of VIP services and then worked her way up through several promotions. Her work ethic and success never changed her sweet nature, former colleagues told the Miami Herald.

You can read more about Ackerman by clicking here.

A memorial page also has been set up, and you can find that by clicking here.

“The entire team at the Fontainebleau is devastated at this senseless loss,” Phil Goldfarb, the hotel’s president and chief operating officer, told the publication Saturday night. Ackerman had previously worked for the hotel. “She was warm and caring, and she was an expert at guest service. That’s why she excelled at what she did.”

Photo courtesy of Ackerman family/Memorial Page/Linkedin