FSU
shooter used his stepmother’s weapon in campus attack, had white supremacist
views and mental health issues, officials and classmates say.
.jpg "Evacuees at Florida State University after campus mass shooting")
TALLAHASSEE,
Fla. – Authorities have identified the suspect in Thursday’s mass shooting at
Florida State University as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a student with a
troubled history and known far-right, white supremacist views. The attack left
two dead and several others wounded.
Ikner,
the stepson of a Leon County sheriff’s deputy, allegedly used his stepmother’s
personal firearm — a former service handgun — during the assault near the FSU
student union. Police say he also had a shotgun in his possession, though it's
unclear if it was fired.
Law
enforcement stated that Ikner, who was previously part of the sheriff’s youth
advisory council, had known access to firearms. The suspect was shot and
apprehended by campus police and remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
Authorities
have yet to identify a motive, but former classmates and political club members
described Ikner as an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump,
with a history of espousing racist and extremist views.
“He
promoted white supremacist rhetoric regularly,” said Riley Pusins, president of
a college political debate club Ikner once attended. “Many people in the group
considered him a fascist.”
Public
records show that Ikner changed his name from Christian Gunner Eriksen in 2020
and registered as a Republican in 2022. Classmates at both FSU and Tallahassee
State College said Ikner made comments denying the legitimacy of the 2020
election and advocated against civil rights movements and multiculturalism.
“He would
joke about mass violence and talk about how Black people were ruining his
neighborhood,” said political science student Lucas Luzietti, who shared a
class with Ikner in 2023. “Everyone was stunned by the things he would say out
loud.”
Ikner's
background includes a history of mental and physical health issues and a
turbulent childhood. Court records from 2015 show he was involved in a custody
battle between his American father and Norwegian mother, who was later
convicted for removing him from the U.S. in violation of court orders.
Authorities
said that despite his past, Ikner's participation in the sheriff’s youth
advisory group granted him indirect access to law enforcement resources — a
factor now under scrutiny.
The
shooting occurred around 11:50 a.m. near the student union. Witnesses described
Ikner arriving in an orange Hummer, first firing a rifle and then switching to
a pistol when approaching bystanders. He was subdued by campus police shortly
after.
“He
pulled up, got out with a rifle, started shooting, then switched to a pistol
and shot the woman in front of him,” student McKenzie Heeter said.
Classes
at FSU remain suspended, and a campus-wide investigation continues.