BREAKING UPDATE: In a violent and deadly incident, a sheriff deputy’s son used his mother’s gun to kill two men and wound six others at Florida State University.
Watch the video down below.
The 20-year-old shooter, identified as Phoenix Ikner, opened fire outside the student union during lunchtime, creating chaos until officers shot and wounded him.
Law enforcement responded swiftly to the active shooter situation at FSU, confronting Ikner, who refused to comply with officers’ commands.
The shooter, who was reportedly a Florida State student and a member of the sheriff’s office’s youth advisory council, was seriously wounded by police but is expected to survive.
According to authorities, Ikner used his mother’s former service weapon, a handgun she had kept for personal protection after leaving law enforcement.
The shooting spree left five people wounded by gunfire and a sixth person injured while attempting to flee the scene.
University officials immediately issued an active shooter alert, triggering a massive emergency response from campus security, local police, and federal agents.
Students described terrifying scenes as they barricaded themselves in classrooms and offices while gunshots rang out across campus.
President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting situation and offered his condolences to the victims’ families, but maintained his strong support for Second Amendment rights.
Unlike Democrat politicians who immediately called for gun control, the president emphasized personal responsibility rather than blaming firearms.
“It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place. The gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do,” he said.
Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil confirmed that the shooter had connections to law enforcement through his mother and the department’s youth programs.
“He has been steeped in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office family, engaged in a number of training programs that we have,” McNeil told reporters.
Despite this background, there were apparently no warning signs that might have prevented the tragedy.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other state officials expressed their concerns and prayers for those affected by the shooting.
The university canceled all classes and home athletic events for the remainder of the week to allow students and faculty time to process the traumatic event.
FSU has unfortunately experienced campus violence before, with a previous shooting incident at the main library in 2014.
Eyewitness Carolina Sena recounted the terrifying moments when the shooting began: “I heard some gunshots and then, you know, just blacked out after.”
Students reported hiding under desks, in bathrooms, and behind locked doors as law enforcement worked to secure the campus. The quick actions of police likely prevented an even higher casualty count.
The FBI joined campus, city, and state officials in responding to the scene, with the Florida Attorney General’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement actively participating in the investigation.
According to university officials, the two men killed during the shooting were not students, and their identities have not yet been released pending notification of their families.
🚨 #BREAKING: Police announce the shooter at Florida State University is the son of a Leon County Sheriff's Deputy
He's been identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, and used one of his mother's weapons to commit the mass shooting at FSU.
HOLY CRAP. pic.twitter.com/mlkrQAQlvg
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 17, 2025
