Florida State University Shooting

Florida State University Shooting: Suspect Identified as 20-Year-Old Sheriff's Deputy Stepson

Key Takeaways

• Phoenix Ikner, 20, identified as the alleged gunman in the FSU campus shooting
• Two people killed, six others wounded in Thursday's attack
• Suspect is the stepson of an 18-year veteran Leon County sheriff's deputy
• Former service weapon belonging to his stepmother recovered at the scene
• Classmates report the suspect previously expressed far-right views

The suspect in Thursday's deadly shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee has been identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, authorities confirmed. The shooting left two people dead and six others wounded on the university campus.

According to officials, Ikner was shot by police during the incident and taken into custody with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect is a political science major at FSU and the stepson of a longtime Leon County sheriff's deputy.

Connections to Law Enforcement

Jessica Ikner, the suspect's stepmother, has served as a Leon County sheriff's deputy for more than 18 years. Investigators recovered her former service weapon at the crime scene, which officials said she had been allowed to purchase for personal use following her service.

"Her service to this community has been exceptional," Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil stated during Thursday's press conference.

Sheriff McNeil also revealed that Phoenix Ikner had been a long-standing member of the sheriff's youth advisory council and participated in numerous training programs within the department.

"So it's not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons," McNeil added, noting that Ikner was "steeped in the Leon County Sheriff's Office family."

Troubled Background and Family History

Court documents obtained by media outlets reveal that Ikner had a tumultuous childhood. His biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, was arrested in 2015 on kidnapping charges for taking him to Norway when he was 10 years old, violating a custody agreement with his father.

The documents refer to Ikner as Christian Gunnar Eriksen, a name he legally changed to Phoenix Ikner in 2020. His mother was sentenced to 200 days in prison following the incident, with subsequent community control and probation periods.

In October 2015, Eriksen filed a lawsuit alleging slander and libel against her son's father, Jessica Ikner, and two other relatives. The lawsuit, which was later dismissed, claimed "emotional and psychological harm" to the child.

History of Concerning Political Views

Former classmates of Ikner have come forward with accounts of his political beliefs, which they described as extreme. Reid Seybold, an FSU senior, told media that Ikner had been asked to leave a political discussion group at nearby Tallahassee State College for making people "uncomfortable" with white supremacist rhetoric.

"He had continually made enough people uncomfortable where certain people had stopped coming," Seybold stated. "He talked about the ravages of multiculturalism and communism and how it's ruining America."

Another former classmate, Lucas Luzietti, reported frequent arguments with Ikner over what he described as hateful ideology. "I remember thinking this man should not have access to firearms," Luzietti told reporters.

According to Florida voter registration records, Ikner is a registered Republican. In January, he was quoted in FSU's student newspaper regarding protests ahead of President Trump's inauguration, suggesting that protesters were "usually pretty entertaining, usually not for good reasons."

An Instagram account appearing to belong to Ikner, which was taken offline shortly after he was identified as the suspect, included a biblical quote in its bio: "You are my war club, my weapon for battle; with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms."

The investigation into the shooting continues as authorities work to determine a motive and process evidence from the scene. The FSU community remains in mourning as it copes with this tragedy.