FSU Shooting - What We Know
2 dead, 5 wounded. The shooter was shot by police and is in the hospital.
Following a law enforcement press event this afternoon at 4:30p eastern, here is what we know:
The shooter has been identified as a 20-year-old FSU student, and son of a member of the Leon County Sheriff’s office, named Phoenix Ikner. He had been a longtime participant in the Sheriff’s Youth Advisory Council, and as such had received some firearms training.
No motive has been released, and the suspect has invoked his right to stay silent. However, we were told that the handgun used in the shooting was his mother’s former service weapon. She had purchased it from the county when they transitioned to a new weapons system, making it her current personal firearm. There was also a shotgun found in the Student Union building, but it is currently unknown if it was used in the attack.
The shooter did not surrender, but it does not seem that he shot at police. After he was clearly non-compliant, police shot him. He is currently in custody at the hospital, condition unknown.
The Tallahassee PD will be taking the lead on the investigation. There are multiple crime scenes, and potentially thousands of witnesses. They can only release limited information at this time. The bodycam and radio dispatch will be released when possible.
The FSU PD said that the student union is considered an active crime scene, and students will NOT be allowed to retrieve belongings at this time. Classes are cancelled through Friday.
As for victims, according to the FSU President, there are two fatalities and five wounded. The two fatalities were NOT students; it’s unclear if they were faculty or staff. The other five are being treated at area hospitals.
Of course, once the shooter’s name is revealed, the internet starts digging for information. In this case, there isn’t much to find. You might think it’s strange that a 20-year-old doesn’t have much of a social media presence; however, as a mother of three adults in their 20s, I can confirm that it is not unusual.
In this case, the shooter had an Insta that was already locked down and was quickly deleted by Meta after his name was announced.
There is one instance of him being quoted in the college paper. In an article about some anti-Trump protests at the time of his inauguration, the shooter was asked for his thoughts about the protests:
“These people are usually pretty entertaining, usually not for good reasons,” Phoenix Ikner, a political science major, said. “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.”
There are folks on the right who’ve declared this to mean the dude is anti-Trump, but that seems to be a misunderstanding of the quote. He seems to be making fun of the protestors and saying that their protest won’t have any effect.
When asked for a comment about the situation, Trump said:
“Look, I’m a big advocate of the Second Amendment, that happened from the beginning. I protected it, and these things are terrible, but the gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do. … It’s a shame, I know the area very well, I know the school very well. … As far as legislation is concerned, this has been going on for a long time. I have an obligation to protect the Second Amendment, I ran on the Second Amendment, among many other things, and I will always protect the Second Amendment.”
FWIW - Open and Concealed carry is NOT allowed on Florida college campuses.
Lorraine Yuriar is a wife, mother, and lifelong conservative currently stuck in a very blue state.
We must drive the conversation to valuing life as a culture. The left will drive the conversation to gun (people) control. But valuing life is the same reason Trump wants to end the war in Ukraine. It's not about controlling land, or people. Ending violence has everything to do with valuing life (self control). Loving your neighbor as yourself.
I think we have a broken culture between parents and their children but also about responsible gun storage. Don't make it easy for your children to get your gun.