Florida Shooting: Two people were killed and six others were injured after an active shooter opened fire on the Florida State University (FSU) campus in Tallahassee on Thursday, law enforcement said at a news conference. The injured victims and the suspected shooter were brought to a local hospital. The suspect was taken into custody after being shot by police, officials said, adding that he invoked his right not to speak with police.
The alleged gunman has been identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, an FSU student who is the son of a Leon County deputy sheriff, Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil said at the briefing. Police said the two people killed in the shooting were not students. The victims’ names have not been released.
Authorities have identified the suspect in a recent university shooting as Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old student and the son of a longtime sheriff’s deputy. Officials confirmed that Ikner had previously taken part in law enforcement training programs and was a member of the sheriff’s Youth Advisory Council, which helps facilitate communication between youth and law enforcement.
According to Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil, Ikner is the son of Deputy Jessica Ikner, a respected member of the sheriff’s office for 18 years. The firearm used in the alleged attack was formerly issued as her service weapon, based on official reports and records. Sheriff McNeil noted that Ikner’s involvement in department programs meant his access to firearms was not unexpected.
Court documents reveal that Ikner, listed in earlier records as Christian Eriksen, experienced a turbulent upbringing. At age 10, his biological mother, with whom he held dual U.S. and Norwegian citizenship, reportedly violated a custody agreement by taking him out of the country. Though she claimed they were headed to South Florida for spring break in March 2015, she instead traveled to Norway, in defiance of the court order. She later entered a no contest plea to the charge of unlawfully removing a minor from the state and received a 200-day jail sentence, followed by two years under community control and an additional two years of probation.
Voter registration records in Florida indicate that Phoenix Ikner is registered as a Republican.
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