The son of a sheriff’s deputy has been identified as the school shooter who killed two people and injured several more at the FSU campus with a gun he’d taken from his mom.
Phoenix Ikner, 20, can now be pictured after he was named as the mass shooter who terrorized Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus on Thursday afternoon – leaving two people dead and another six in hospital with varying injuries.
Officials said his mother is Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Ikner, noting he had ‘access to one of her weapons, and that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene.’
In a chilling social media post which has now emerged, Ikner wrote: ‘you are my war club, my weapons for battle, with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms.’
The quote is a passage from the book of Jeremiah in the Bible, which warned of an impending judgement day.
He had also recently mocked students on campus protesting the result of the 2024 presidential election.
‘These people are usually pretty entertaining, usually not for good reasons,’ Ikner said in his school magazine, where he was described as a political science major.
‘I think it’s a little too late, he’s [Trump] already going to be inaugurated on Jan. 20 and there’s not really much you can do unless you outright revolt, and I don’t think anyone wants that.’
Phoenix Ikner, 20, was named on Thursday at a press conference after the horror mass shooting at Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus
One student shared chilling footage from inside a classroom where people were cowering in fear under desks and remaining silent as a person bashes the door yelling ‘open up’
Pictured: FSU shooter Phoenix Ikner
Leon County Sheriff McNeil said at a press conference Thursday the gunman was a member of the department’s youth set-up and was involved in training programs.
Ikner was described as ‘steeped in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office family.’
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said the gun was previously used by his mother for law enforcement, but was her private handgun at the time of the shooting, because deputies ‘are allowed to purchase the handgun they used prior.’
Authorities said that a total of two people were killed and six were injured, with Ikner also shot and injured during the altercation. He is in custody in hospital.
Social media was flooded with sickening footage and images as panic set in, including one showing a victim being carried to safety on the shoulders of paramedics.
A witness on the scene told WFTV they saw a college-aged man exit the student union with a handgun, and another witness told the Tallahassee Democrat they’d heard what sounded like ‘automatic gunfire.’
Several witnesses shared clips of students fleeing and seeking shelter, with others showing food, picnic blankets and bags that were left on a lawn after students scrambled to safety.
The shooter who killed two people and injured several more at FSU on Thursday has been identified as the son of Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Ikner (right)
Police sources say the gunman opened fire around midday Thursday, sending the campus into lockdown. Survivors are seen being marched away from the scene with their hands raised
Footage showed a victim being carried away by paramedics as panic set in across the campus
Students shared chilling footage from inside a classroom where people were cowering in fear under desks.
A person could be heard bashing on the door multiple times yelling ‘open up’, but the terrified students remained silent and unmoving during the terrifying ordeal.
As evacuations were carried out, images showed concerned students and faculty trying to call loved ones on campus, and Florida State University said Thursday afternoon that all classes and events were cancelled for the day.
Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare said it was treating several victims and was ‘fully mobilized and prepared to provide the highest level of care and support to all those affected.’
A hospital spokesperson said one of the six people hospitalized was in critical condition and the other patients were in serious condition.
As the campus remained under lockdown Thursday afternoon, a grey sedan was reportedly found by police with a weapon inside that authorities believe may have been linked to the shooting.
Several firearms including a shotgun and pistol have reportedly been seized by police, and the suspect was arrested with a weapon on them, police said.
Phoenix Ikner, 20, was named on Thursday at a press conference after the horror mass shooting at Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus
Images showed concerned students and faculty trying to call loved ones on campus
Students seen evacuating on Thursday afternoon
The Tallahassee Fire Department has taken control of the campus, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office said it had deployed a helicopter to survey the area. The FBI said Thursday afternoon it was joining the investigation
FSU senior Will Schatz told the publication he was in the Strozier Library when he saw other students racing from the building.
‘I could have sworn I saw a cop running after somebody and screaming something when we ran out,’ he said. ‘Then when I got out, I heard seven to eight gunshots. I’m not sure if that was the shooter shooting or if the cops shot the shooter.’
It is not the first time the FSU Tallahassee campus has been hit with a mass shooting, with an alumnus shooting an employee and two students in the Strozier Library in November 2014. The shooter was killed by officers.
Officials said on Thursday afternoon that law enforcement was ‘actively clearing rooms on the main campus’, and said the process could continue for several hours.
Shortly before holding a press conference on campus, officials said students would be allowed to return to their residence halls as police had ‘neutralized the threat.’
‘The Student Union and the surrounding area is still considered an active crime scene,’ FSU added. ‘Individuals should avoid the area. Students should not return to the Student Union to retrieve personal property at this time.’
The Tallahassee Fire Department took control of the campus, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office said it had deployed a helicopter to survey the area.
Leon County School District buildings, which sit close to the campus, were also placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure.
The FBI said Thursday afternoon it was responding to the scene to aid the investigation.
First responders were seen carrying a victim into an ambulance, with officials saying at least six people were hospitalized in the shooting
Footage showed students fleeing in panic moments after shots rang out across the campus
FSU Tallahassee (seen in a stock image) is located in Florida’s state capital and sits on the Sunshine State’s panhandle, with around 45,000 students
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a statement around two hours after the shooting unfolded that his ‘prayers are with our FSU family.’
President Trump added soon after that he had been ‘fully briefed’ on the shooting.
FSU Tallahassee is a public college located in Florida’s state capital and sits on the Sunshine State’s panhandle.
It has around 45,000 students, with movie star Burt Reynolds and The Doors singer Jim Morrison among its famous alumni.
