Phoenix Ikner was named as the shooter in the Florida State University (FSU) shooting, officials confirmed at a Thursday night press conference. The 20-year-old is the son of a Leon County Sheriff’s deputy Jessica Ikner and a member of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Youth Advisory Council. Police reported that Phoenix Ikner employed a deputy’s gun in the shooting, and the gun was found at the scene.
Gun Linked to Suspect’s Mother
Authorities think the suspect’s mother legally bought one of her old service guns, which had become personal property by the time of the shooting.
“This event is tragic in more ways than you people in the audience could ever fathom from a law enforcement perspective,” Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said at the press conference. “But I will tell you this, we will make sure that we do everything we can to prosecute and make sure that we send a message to folks that this will never be tolerated here in Leon County, and I dare say, across this state and across this nation.”
Online Activity and Background of the Suspect
Previously, CNN indicated that the suspect was a young Tallahassee man who had lived in the area.
Soon after the authorities named the suspect, purported social media accounts attributed to Ikner started circulating on the internet. Screenshots of X posts seemed to depict him at anti-Trump rallies around the FSU campus.
FSU Shooting Timeline and Response
The shooting was initially reported around 12:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday. At 4:10 p.m., the Tallahassee Police Department posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the FSU campus “has been secured.”
“Multiple law enforcement agencies remain on site for the ongoing investigation,” the department wrote. “The Student Union & surrounding area are still considered an active crime scene. Individuals should not return to the area for any reason.”
Police added that “busing is underway to help students reach the reunification point at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.”
During a press conference, police confirmed that two people were killed and five others were injured in the shooting.
