The suspect in the Florida State University (FSU) mass school shooting has been identified by local authorities as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, son of Jessica Ikner, a Leon County deputy and school resource officer.
Newsweek reached out to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office via email Thursday for additional comment.
Why It Matters
FSU’s mass shooting catapulted the national conversation surrounding gun violence and firearms to the forefront on social media Thursday afternoon.
The university experienced another mass shooting in 2014, when three people were injured and the gunman, 31-year-old Myron May, was shot and killed by campus police after refusing to drop his weapon.
The Sunshine State also faced a mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018, when 17 people were killed and several others inured.
FSU Shooting: What We Know
At least two people were killed and several others injured in the gunfire on the FSU campus in Tallahassee on Wednesday, and FSU Chief of Police Jason Trumbower said he believes Ikner is a student at FSU, CNN reported.
In a news conference hours after the first reports of the active shooting were announced, Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil identified the suspect.
“The shooter is 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner … and he is the son of a Leon County sheriff’s deputy,” McNeil said.
“Our deputy, Deputy Ikner, has been with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office for over 18 years. She has a tremendous job that she’s done. Her service to this community has been exceptional. Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons, and that was one of the weapons found at the scene.”
Officials during the news conference said nine people were injured, including the suspect. Phoenix Ikner is in the hospital, Tallahassee Chief of Police Lawrence Revell said.
The first alerts of an active shooter call were posted to X, formerly Twitter, by FSU at 12:02 p.m. ET.
“An active shooter has been reported in the area of Student Union. Police are on scene or on the way. Continue to seek shelter and await further instructions. Lock and stay away from all doors and windows and be prepared to take additional protective measures,” the alert said.
Who Is Phoenix Ikner’s Mother, Jessica Ikner?
According to Revell during the news conference, Jessica Ikner is a school resource officer in Leon County. The county sheriff’s office website lists her as a “middle schools deputy.”
Deputy Ikner was awarded law enforcement employee of the month in March 2024, the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook.
The Florida Sheriff’s Association also recognized her as Leon County Sheriff’s Office Co-Deputy of the Year in 2011.
During the news conference, McNeil said there is currently no cause to suspend her, but that the sheriff’s office will “do a thorough investigation.”
Who Is FSU Shooting Suspect Phoenix Ikner?
Phoenix Ikner is reportedly a political science major, CNN reported.
He was “a long-standing member” of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office Youth Advisory Council, McNeil said during the news conference.
“He has been steep in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office Family,” McNeil said, adding that it is “not a surprise” that Ikner had access to weapons.
This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.
