Maura Elaine Binkley was 21 and a senior at Florida State University when she was killed on November 2, 2018, in Tallahassee, Florida. She was studying German and Editing, Writing, and Media and is remembered for a kind and gentle spirit and devotion to her loved ones.

On November 2 Maura was at a yoga studio in Tallahassee when a gunman, 40-year-old Scott Paul Beierle, entered and opened fire. Beierle shot six people and pistol-whipped another; Maura and Dr. Nancy Van Vessem died of their injuries at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. Beierle then fatally shot himself. He had a prior arrest for battery and a reported history of groping women; he was able to legally purchase the firearm used in the attack. The incident was classified as a hate crime.

Maura’s parents, Jeff and Margaret Binkley, established the Maura’s Voice Research Fund at Florida State University to study hatred, radicalization, and violence. If anyone knew Maura or has information about her life and work, please share memories or tips that could help preserve her legacy.