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DLNews Breaking News:

“From Honor Roll to Horror: Florida State University Shooting Suspect Had Deep Ties to Law Enforcement, Troubled Past”

TALLAHASSEE, FL — A tightly-knit community is reeling after a mass shooting on the campus of Florida State University left two people dead and six others wounded on Thursday, with police confirming the suspected shooter is 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a junior political science major—and the son of a longtime Leon County sheriff’s deputy.

Authorities say Ikner was armed with a .45 caliber pistol, a shotgun, and an AR-15 style rifle, suggesting a potentially far deadlier rampage had he not been swiftly confronted by university police. The gun, investigators confirmed, was a former service weapon issued to Deputy Jessica Ikner, his stepmother, who has served in the department for over 18 years. She has since been placed on personal leave and reassigned, though no allegations of wrongdoing have been made against her.

Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said there is currently no indication Ikner knew any of his victims, and a motive remains unclear. “There were no known connections between the shooter and the victims,” Revell stated, noting that the suspect was taken into custody after being shot by police when he failed to comply with commands. He sustained significant but non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to face multiple charges, including first-degree murder.

Ikner had deep, almost paradoxical ties to law enforcement. He once served on the Leon County Sheriff’s Youth Advisory Council—a group created to build trust between young people and local police. Sheriff Walter McNeil acknowledged the suspect’s involvement, stating, “It’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons.” Community members said Ikner had been seen as helpful and friendly within the council, though others, including FSU students, described a darker undercurrent in his behavior.

Former classmate Reid Seybold said Ikner was removed from a political student group for unnerving rhetoric. “It went beyond conservatism. He talked about the ravages of multiculturalism and communism and how it’s ruining America.” While no direct political motive has been established, police are investigating whether Thursday’s shooting is linked to a protest scheduled by the university’s Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society—an organization Ikner had previously criticized.

On social media, an account believed to belong to Ikner included a biblical quote: “You are my war club, my weapon for battle; with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms.” The account has since been taken offline.

Investigators say Ikner had been prescribed medication for emotional dysregulation but had reportedly stopped taking it, according to family interviews. That aspect of his medical history will likely be central to the ongoing investigation.

Detailed in a trove of court records, his upbringing portrays early instability. Born in Tallahassee in 2004 as Christian Eriksen, Ikner changed his name at age 15 to “Phoenix”—a symbolic rebirth after a traumatic custody battle. In 2015, during a spring break visit, his biological mother removed him from the country and fled to Norway, defying court orders. A Norwegian court later mandated his return to the United States, and his father and stepmother traveled overseas to retrieve him. His mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, served jail time in Florida for violating the custody agreement and lost all parental rights.

In 2020, a magistrate who approved Ikner’s name change described him as “mature, articulate, and very well spoken,” noting his academic achievements and appearance in NJROTC uniform. But beneath the surface, the wounds of his childhood may have lingered.

Jessica Ikner, the deputy whose weapon was used in the attack, served as a school resource officer before being transferred to property crimes. She has not publicly commented on her stepson’s alleged actions.

University officials confirmed Phoenix Ikner had only just transferred to FSU this spring after earning an associate’s degree from Tallahassee State College. FSU spokesperson Stephen Stone said, “There were no prior warning signs presented to the university.”

The Leon County Sheriff’s Office will not participate in the investigation or handle the suspect’s detention due to the familial conflict of interest. Chief Revell reaffirmed the commitment to a transparent investigation and expressed sympathy for all those affected.

As for the victims, two lives were tragically cut short in the mass shooting at Florida State University. Robert Morales, a devoted father, and Tiru Chabba, a father of two, were identified as the men killed during the rampage. While full details on the conditions of the other six injured have not yet been released, the university community is shaken and heartbroken. Vigils are already being planned, and support networks are forming as investigators continue to unravel a case that has shattered the sense of safety on campus and blurred the line between law enforcement legacy and personal tragedy—leaving behind a campus grappling with grief, unanswered questions, and the unbearable weight of lives taken far too soon.