Deputy’s Son Opens Fire on FSU Campus \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ A deadly shooting at Florida State University Thursday claimed two lives and left at least six injured. The suspected shooter, 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner, used his mother’s former service weapon. Campus remains on edge as authorities investigate the motive behind the attack.
Quick Looks
- Suspect identified as Phoenix Ikner, 20, a student at FSU.
- Ikner used his mother’s old service handgun in the shooting.
- Two non-students were killed; six others hospitalized.
- Law enforcement shot and wounded Ikner after he refused commands.
- Shooting occurred outside FSU’s student union around midday.
- Witnesses say shotgun jammed before suspect opened fire with handgun.
- Tallahassee Police and university officials still investigating motive.
- Students hid in bowling alleys, elevators, and classrooms during attack.
- President Trump called it “horrible” but opposes new gun laws.
- FSU canceled classes and campus events through the weekend.
Deep Look
A tragic and chaotic scene unfolded on the campus of Florida State University on Thursday when a gunman opened fire near the student union, killing two people and wounding six others in a midday attack that has left the FSU community in shock.
The suspect, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, was shot and injured by law enforcement after refusing commands to surrender. He remains hospitalized. Authorities confirmed Ikner is an enrolled student at FSU — and the son of a veteran deputy in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.
The Shooting and Rapid Response
The shooting began shortly before noon near the bustling student union. Students and visiting parents scrambled for cover as gunshots rang out. Some took shelter in a campus bowling alley, while others jammed into service elevators and locked classrooms.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell confirmed that officers responded within minutes and subdued the shooter after he failed to follow commands. Florida State University Police Chief Jason Trumbower later added that the two victims who died were not affiliated with the university.
Emergency responders flooded the area, cordoning off key sections of campus with crime scene tape. Tallahassee Memorial Hospital reported treating six people for gunshot wounds, one of whom remains in critical condition.
Weapon Linked to Sheriff’s Department
Investigators say the firearm used in the attack was a handgun once issued to Ikner’s mother, a sheriff’s deputy with more than 18 years of service. According to Sheriff Walt McNeil, the deputy had retained the weapon for personal use after the department upgraded its standard issue firearms.
“She has been a model employee,” McNeil said during a press briefing. He also noted that Ikner had been actively involved in the department’s Youth Advisory Council and had participated in several law enforcement training programs.
“So it’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons,” McNeil added.
Witnesses Describe Terrifying Moments
Aidan Stickney, a 21-year-old business student, said he saw a man get out of a vehicle with a shotgun aimed at another individual in a white shirt. The shotgun jammed, forcing the attacker to return to his car and retrieve a handgun, which he used to shoot a woman.
Stickney immediately fled while calling 911. “I got lucky today,” he said. “I really, really did.”
Investigators say there’s no current evidence that anyone was actually shot with the shotgun.
Other students described chaos and confusion. Ryan Cedergren, a communications major, said he and about 30 others hid in the bowling alley after seeing students running from the direction of a nearby bar.
“It was survival mode,” Cedergren said.
Chris Pento, who was touring campus with his twin children, described hearing gunshots while having lunch at the student union. He and others tried to escape down a hallway but found locked doors, then crammed into an elevator. “That was probably the scariest part — not knowing what would happen next,” he said.
National and Local Response
President Donald Trump said he had been fully briefed on the shooting, calling it a “horrible thing.” He extended condolences to the victims’ families but reiterated his position against gun control measures: “The gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do.”
Florida State University President Richard McCullough expressed heartbreak over the violence, saying the university was offering support services for affected students and families. “Our hearts go out to our students and the victims of this terrible tragedy,” he said in a statement.
A Campus Still Recovering
This is not the first time FSU has been the site of gun violence. In 2014, a gunman wounded three people at the university’s main library before being killed by police. The trauma from that event had barely faded when Thursday’s shooting reignited fears.
Florida State University, one of the state’s 12 public universities, has an enrollment of more than 44,000 students. In response to the shooting, the university canceled all classes for the remainder of the week and suspended all home athletic events through Sunday.
Deputy’s Son Opens Deputy’s Son Opens
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