A tragic shooting at Florida State University (FSU) on Thursday has left two people dead and six others injured, after a 20-year-old student—identified as Phoenix Ikner—allegedly opened fire near the Student Union on the Tallahassee campus.
Ikner, a current FSU student and stepson of a veteran Leon County sheriff’s deputy, was shot by law enforcement during the response and is currently hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities confirmed he was taken into custody at the scene.
According to Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil, the suspect had access to one of his mother’s personal firearms—one of which was recovered at the scene. Ikner was reportedly armed with both a handgun and a shotgun. Sheriff McNeil described Ikner as a “long-standing member” of the sheriff’s Youth Advisory Council and participant in multiple training programs.
“It’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons,” McNeil noted.
The two people killed in the attack have not yet been identified, but police say neither were FSU students. Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare confirmed receiving six patients, all currently in fair condition.
The campus was placed on lockdown during the attack, with scenes of chaos reported by students. Sophomore Paula Maldonado recounted hearing yelling before the active threat alarm went off. Her class barricaded the door and hid in silence until officers arrived.
“A cop came inside and I thought it was the shooter,” she said. “It was very scary.”
Another student, Daniella Streety, described students fleeing from the Student Union as sirens blared and law enforcement swarmed the area.
Fred Guttenberg, father of Jaime Guttenberg—one of the victims in the 2018 Parkland school shooting—shared a somber post on social media, noting that some of his daughter’s classmates now attending FSU were caught up in Thursday’s tragedy.
“Incredibly, some of them were just part of their second school shooting today,” he wrote. “I am not surprised… but heartbroken.”
President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem offered condolences, saying, “There is no place in American society for violence.”
FSU has canceled all classes through Friday. The campus remains secured as investigations continue.
This marks the 81st mass shooting in the U.S. in 2025, and the sixth in Florida alone this year—further fueling ongoing concerns about gun violence in American schools and public spaces.
