Two dead, several injured in Florida University mass shooting involving Deputy’s Son

Two men were killed and five others wounded in a mass shooting at Florida State University (FSU) on Thursday, allegedly carried out by Phoenix Ikner, the 20-year-old son of a local deputy sheriff.

The suspect reportedly used one of his mother’s former service weapons in the attack.

Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell confirmed that Ikner, a student at the university, opened fire on campus, targeting students before being shot by responding officers. A sixth person sustained injuries while attempting to flee the scene.

Chief Revell stated that Ikner is currently hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The university campus was swiftly locked down as the incident unfolded around lunchtime, with students ordered to shelter in place and law enforcement flooding the area.

Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil revealed that Ikner’s mother is a highly respected 18-year veteran of the sheriff’s department. “Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons, and that was one of the weapons found at the scene,” McNeil said. He added that Ikner had been involved in Sheriff’s Office training programs, which made his access to firearms unsurprising.

Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of chaos as shots rang out near the student union. A student named Wayne told local station WCTV, “Everyone just started running out of the student union… About a minute later, we heard about eight to 10 gunshots.”

Another student, Sam Swartz, who had been in the basement of the union, said a group of eight barricaded themselves with trash cans and plywood. “I remember learning to do the best you can to make them take time,” Swartz told Tallahassee Democrat. “Mass shooters are just trying to get as many people as they can.”

The two deceased were identified as adult males who were not students of the university. FSU, which serves over 40,000 students, cancelled all classes and instructed off-campus students to return home.

University President Richard McCullough expressed heartbreak over the incident. “This is a tragic day for Florida State University. We’re absolutely heartbroken by the violence that occurred on our campus earlier today,” he said.

Social media footage showed students evacuating buildings with their hands raised, while bystander videos aired by CNN captured the suspect firing at fleeing individuals on campus lawns.

Mass shootings remain a grim reality in the United States, with at least 81 such incidents recorded this year alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Reacting to the tragedy, former President Donald Trump called the event “a horrible thing,” but reaffirmed his stance on gun rights. “The gun doesn’t do the shooting — the people do,” he said, emphasizing his support for the Second Amendment.