Who is Phoenix Ikner? Gunman who allegedly killed 2 in Florida state university campus shooting
Written By Navashree Nandini
Published: Apr 18, 2025, 04:30 IST | Updated: Apr 18, 2025, 04:30 IST
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World | A deputy sheriff's son, identified as Phoenix Ikner, allegedly killed two people and wounded five others at Florida State University. More about him here
A deputy sheriff's son, identified as Phoenix Ikner, allegedly killed two people and wounded five others at Florida State University in Tallahassee on Thursday (Apr 18). He was shot by officers, taken into custody and hospitalised. He opened fire using his mother’s former service weapon. Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said the suspect is the son of a Leon County police officer, who has been with the sheriff’s office for over 18 years.
Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil said, “Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons, and that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene,” he said. “We are continuing that investigation into how that weapon was used and what other weapons he may have had access to.”
The shooting started about 11:50 a.m. local time (1550 GMT) near the student union building on the FSU campus. Students and faculty were told to shelter in place as police responded. More than 42,000 students attend classes at the main campus.
Read More | Shooting at Florida State University: 2 dead, 5 injured, shooter identified as deputy sheriff's son
United States President Donald Trump responded to the shooting and called it “terrible”. Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “These things are terrible. But the gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do.”
Phoenix Ikner, who is 20 years old, is an active FSU student and works as a school resource officer. Ikner reportedly studied at Lincoln High School, which is a part of Leon County School District. A news release by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office dated August 17, 2021 listed Ikner as a member of its “Youth Advisory Council." The council was established in 2020 to “provide an open line of communication between the youth of Leon County and local law enforcement.” The Sherrif said that the suspect was a "longstanding member" of the office's youth advisory council and was engaged in several training programmes. Ikner's social media activities claim that he is a registered Republican and his Instagram bio cited Bible verses.
The New York Times reported that he was also found in possession of a shotgun, although it is not known if he used it during the reported attack. A few witnesses said the gunman unloaded a rifle-shaped weapon before switching to a pistol, as per reports.
Mass shootings on US school campuses have become recurring tragedies in recent years. Thursday's incident was the second shooting on the FSU campus in 11 years. In 2014, a graduate opened fire early at the school's main library, wounding two students and an employee as hundreds were studying for exams.
Notable mass shootings at colleges or universities in recent years include the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre in Blacksburg, Virginia, where 32 people were killed and 23 injured. In 2023, there were two college mass shootings, one at Michigan State University, where three students were killed and at least five others injured. The other incident unfolded at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where three faculty members were killed before a suspect died in a shootout with the police.