A tragic shooting at Florida State University on Thursday afternoon left two people dead and six others injured, including the suspected gunman, who has been identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner. Authorities confirmed that Ikner is the son of a Leon County Sheriff’s deputy and that one of the weapons found at the scene—a handgun—was registered to his mother.
Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil revealed during a press briefing that the weapon used was one the deputy had previously carried during her service. Law enforcement officers are permitted to purchase their older service weapons when transitioning to new ones, which is how the firearm ended up in the deputy’s possession—and ultimately, her son’s hands.
“Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons, and that was one of the firearms recovered at the scene,” McNeil stated. “We are continuing to investigate how that weapon was obtained and whether he had access to additional firearms.”
Sheriff McNeil added that Ikner had been familiar with the law enforcement community through prior involvement in sheriff’s office training programs. “It’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons,” he said.
FSU Police Chief Jason Trumbower confirmed that the two individuals who died were not students at the university. Meanwhile, five injured victims were transported to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Ikner, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being shot during the response, is also under medical care. He has declined to speak with investigators, invoking his right to remain silent.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, and law enforcement officials continue to review surveillance footage, social media, and other digital evidence as part of the ongoing investigation.
The shooting prompted panic across the FSU campus. Students and parents took cover in buildings, including hiding in a bowling alley and crowding into a freight elevator inside the student union, where gunfire was first reported. Law enforcement from multiple agencies rushed to the scene after an active shooter alert was issued around midday.
Following a tense few hours, FSU’s emergency alert system confirmed that the threat had been “neutralized.” Authorities urged students and faculty to avoid the student union and surrounding areas as the investigation continued.
Outside the student union, crime scene tape surrounded the area while forensic teams and patrol officers worked into the evening. Students and staff, many of whom had fled without their phones or keys, gathered nearby to support each other and pray for the victims.
Florida State University, with a student body of around 44,000, previously experienced a mass shooting in 2014 when a gunman opened fire at the main library, injuring three before being fatally shot by police.
In the wake of Thursday’s shooting, the university canceled all classes and campus events for the day and suspended home athletic events through the weekend.
Authorities are expected to release further updates as the investigation develops.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
