Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil held a press conference with Richard McCullogh, President of Florida State University, where a gunman opened fire, killing two people and wounding six.
None of the victims were FSU students.
McNeil told reporters that the alleged shooter was 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner. He is the son of a sheriff’s deputy who had access to one of her guns, according to Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil.
🚨BREAKING: Police say the Florida State shooter was 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a graduate of Lincoln High School in Tallahassee and the son of sheriff's deputy Jessica Ikner. pic.twitter.com/DOCCaGJSdn
— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) April 17, 2025
Ikner was a member of the sheriff’s office Youth Advisory Council. “He has been steeped in the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office family, engaged in a number of training programs that we have,” McNeil said.
The gun used in the shooting was not the sheriff’s deputy’s service weapon, but an old handgun she had carried previously. The suspect had a shotgun with him as well, but law enforcement said they did not know whether he used it during the incident.
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 that was found at the scene.
McNeil explained that police shot Ikner during the encounter, wounding him. The alleged gunman is currently being treated at the hospital.
McNeil vowed that law enforcement “will make sure that we do everything we can to prosecute and make sure that we send a message to folks that this will never be tolerated here in Leon County.”
The shooting began at about 11:50 a.m. EDT. The university issued an active shooter alert, notifying the public that the shooting was occurring near the Student Union.
Several students recounted what they saw during the shooting during interviews with NBC News.
McKenzie Heeter, a junior at FSU, described seeing the gunman in the campus shooting at FSU this afternoon as she was outside the student union.
“I was leaving the union with my food. There’s a road next to it and I was walking and this guy pulls up in an orange Hummer, and he gets out with a rifle and shoots in my direction. There were a couple other kids near me,” Heeter said. “I think he was shooting and he missed. So he goes back into his car and grabs a pistol, then he turns and shoots the lady in front of him. That’s when I just started running.”
Heeter said she heard about 15 rounds fired for about 20 to 30 seconds. She said she then called the police at 11:57 a.m. to report the shooting.
She described the shooter as a “normal college dude" who was wearing an orange T-shirt and khaki shorts. She described him as white with light hair.
At first Heeter said she thought he brought out a BB gun, but when she heard him fire it she knew it was real.
"When he turned back around with the pistol, I saw him shoot the lady like right in front of him. She was probably like 5 feet in front of him with the pistol," Heeter said. She said the woman was in purple scrubs and didn't appear to be a student or faculty.
"It was just me and like three other people that noticed at first, but we were walking in the opposite direction away from the union, so we started running. I just told everybody that I could see, stay away from campus," she recalled. "I ran back to my apartment as fast as I could."
Footage circulating on social media showed the aftermath of the shooting. In one of the videos, a police officer can be seen arresting Ikner.
Florida State Union possible suspect shooter in custody pic.twitter.com/5Iz0nuX3bC
— Mr PitBull (@MrPitbull07) April 17, 2025
#BREAKING: Mass-shooting at Florida State University, at least 4 shot.
— Insider Wire (@InsiderWire) April 17, 2025
Story developing. pic.twitter.com/B3gyhv7LIl
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in a post on X, expressed his condolences for the lives lost during the incident.
Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding. https://t.co/gT4mDwWsGC
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 17, 2025
President Donald Trump was briefed on the matter earlier in the day while meeting with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni.
#BREAKING : President Donald Trump described the tragic shooting at Florida State University (FSU) as a horrible thing.
— upuknews (@upuknews1) April 17, 2025
During a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, he described the incident as "a horrible thing" and extended his thoughts to those… pic.twitter.com/YipUO0kf18
The authorities have not yet released the names of the victims and are still investigating the incident.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member