Two people were killed and at least six others were wounded on Thursday in a mass shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., officials said. The six victims, one of whom is in critical condition, are being treated at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. The two deceased victims were not university students or law enforcement. “This is a tragic day for Florida State University,” FSU president Richard McCullough said. “We are absolutely heartbroken by the violence that occurred on our campus earlier today.” The shooter was identified by police as Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old whose mother is a Leon County sheriff’s deputy who has worked with the department for over 18 years. Authorities said a former service weapon that belonged to his mother was recovered at the scene. She was allowed to purchase her former service weapon for personal use, officials said.
Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil said Ikner was a long-standing member of the Sheriff’s Office Youth Advisory Council who was “engaged in a number of training programs.” McNeil said it wasn’t a surprise that the shooter had access to weapons, having been “steep” in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office family. Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said the gunman “did not comply with commands and was shot” and is receiving medical attention. The shooter also “invoked his right not to speak to us,” Revell added. Police believe Ikner is an FSU student who acted alone.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, President Trump said the shooting was “a shame” but that he wouldn’t advocate for any new gun legislation. “The gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do,” Trump said, adding that he was a “big advocate” of the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. Earlier in the day, Trump said he had been “fully briefed” on the shooting. “It’s a shame, a horrible thing,” he said. “It’s horrible that things like this take place.” Authorities said the incident unfolded just before noon on Thursday, when the gunman shot individuals around the student union building. The sprawling campus was placed on lockdown for several hours before the school announced that law enforcement had “neutralized the threat.” In a post on X, Tallahassee police said that the campus had been secured but that multiple law enforcement agencies would remain at the scene. The FBI in Jacksonville said its agents were assisting local law enforcement in its investigation.
Shortly after noon, the school issued an alert that said an active shooter had been reported in the area of the student union and asked students to shelter in place. “Lock and stay away from all doors and windows and be prepared to take additional protective measures,” the alert read.
The university sent out subsequent alerts telling students to continue to shelter in place. “Law enforcement is actively clearing rooms on the main campus,” one of the alerts read. “Law enforcement officers will use the safe word SEMINOLE to confirm it is safe to open the door. Continue to shelter in place until law enforcement contacts you.” Hours later, FSU issued an alert saying that “law enforcement has neutralized the threat.” Students were advised to avoid numerous buildings near the student union as they were “still considered an active crime scene.” All classes and university events were canceled through Friday. Home athletic events through Sunday were canceled. Nearby Florida A&M University also canceled classes for the day. Alarms could be heard blaring across FSU’s campus as students were escorted from the library and other buildings, according to the Associated Press.
In a post on X, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said state law enforcement was “actively responding” to the shooting. “Our prayers are with our FSU family,” he said. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office was “responding to the active shooter situation on FSU’s campus” and would “provide updates as they become available.” “It’s too early to understand the extent of the violence, but early reports are very disturbing,” Florida Rep. Neal Dunn said in a statement. “Shelter in place. Stay Safe. Thank you to our brave first responders for responding to the situation.” According to its office of admissions, Florida State has a total enrollment of more than 44,000 students, including more than 32,000 undergraduates and 11,000 graduate students. Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in 2018, said that some of Jaime’s surviving classmates now attend FSU. “Incredibly, some of them were just a part of their 2nd school shooting and some were in the student union today,” Guttenberg wrote in a post on X. “As a father, all I ever wanted after the Parkland shooting was to help our children be safe. Sadly, because of the many people who refuse to do the right things about reducing gun violence, I am not surprised by what happened today.”
