FSU taking pictures newest: Gunman, 20, who killed two and injured 6 ‘is a cop’s son who used mother’s former service weapon’

Last night, as darkness fell on Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus, students began laying flowers in remembrance of the two people killed in the shooting hours earlier.

Investigators say Phoenix Ikner, who is believed to be a Florida State student, used his mother’s former service weapon when he opened fire at the campus, also injuring at least six others.

The two men who died were not students, said Florida State University Police Chief Jason Trumbower.

The six injured in the Thursday’s shooting at Florida State University were taken to the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

In the hours after the incident, the hospital released a statement in which it said those injured were in a “fair condition”.

On its social media page, the hospital said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred today at FSU.

“Our hearts are with the students, families, and everyone impacted by this heartbreaking situation. TMH has received six patients related to this incident, all of which are currently in fair condition.

“Our dedicated trauma teams are providing the highest level of care to all patients, and we remain fully mobilized to meet their needs.

“We continue to work closely with emergency responders and public safety officials. Out of respect for patient privacy and to ensure the accuracy of information, we will provide updates as appropriate.”

Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell provided an update on the conditions of the victims in the wake of, what he called, a “heinous and despicable act of violence.”

Earlier in the day, police said two people, who were not students, were killed in the shooting. In an evening statement, Revell identified them as men but gave no further information.

Five other victims were struck by gunfire while a sixth person was injured while attempting to run away from the shooting, he said. No further information about the victims has been released.

The 20-year-old suspect, Phoenix Ikner, remains hospitalized with “serious but non-life-threatening injuries.”

The crime scenes have been processed and the investigation remains open and active. The police department “is committed to bringing justice to the victims in this case,” the police chief said.

Ikner’s former classmate says he was “shocked” to learn he was named a suspect.

“I was a bit shocked,” Nicholas Lobo, 19, told NBC News. Lobo and Ikner both attended Tallahassee State College last semester before they both transferred to FSU. The pair were in the same “political discourse group,” according to the outlet.

“I was driving when I saw someone message me and his name, and, like, I remembered it,” Lobo said, noting he didn’t know the suspect well.

Ikner tended to take more conservative positions, but wasn’t considered radical, Lobo said.

“He was pretty normal. He was nice,” he added.

“It’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons,” Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil said at Thursday’s press conference.

The suspect, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, is the son of a deputy and was involved in the sheriff’s office Youth Advisory Council, McNeil said.

Years earlier, a fellow teen involved in the group said he never discussed firearms.

Jacob West, 18, and Ikner were part of the group in 2021-2022.

Ikner was always “in good spirits” and always proposing “really good ideas to help Leon County,” West told the New YorkTimes. “He never spoke about guns or anything.”

The shooting suspect allegedly espoused “white supremacist rhetoric” and was removed from a political club, NBC News reported.

Reid Seybold told the outlet that he and Ikner both attended Tallahassee State College before they transferred to FSU. Seybold was president of the “political round table” club.

At some point, Ikner was asked not to come back due to his controversial views, Seybold told the outlet.

“Basically our only rule was no Nazis — colloquially speaking — and he espoused so much white supremacist rhetoric, and far-right rhetoric, as well, to the point where we had to exercise that rule,” Seybold said.

Seybold was in a building not far from the area where the shooting transpired; he said he heard gunshots. He texted everyone he loved, telling them how he felt: “I was getting ready to die.”

FSU President Richard McCullough issued a statement in the wake of the tragedy that left two dead and six injured.

“We are heartbroken. We are grieving with the families, friends, and loved ones of those who were lost. We are holding close those who are injured, and we are standing by everyone who is hurting,” he wrote on Thursday evening on X.

You can read his full message here.

All six patients injured during the shooting are in fair condition, the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital told the Associated Press.

The news comes after the hospital said one individual was in critical condition.

The identities of the victims has not been released. But police said earlier Thursday that the two individuals killed in the shooting were not students.

The suspected shooter is also currently receiving medical care; his condition is not currently known.

The father of a Parkland victim says his late daughter’s friends attend FSU.

Fred Guttenberg’s daughter Jaime was killed during the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Now, her classmates have gone on to face a second school shooting in a seven-year span.

“America is broken. My daughter Jaime was murdered in the Parkland school shooting. Many of her friends who were lucky enough to survive that shooting went on to attend FSU,” Guttenberg said.

“Incredibly, some of them were just a part of their 2nd school shooting and some were in the student union today,” he continued 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.”

Phoenix Ikner, 20-year-old suspect, is now in police custody; he is a student at FSU majoring in political science.

Ikner was also a long-standing member of the LCSO youth advisory committee, McNeil said, and was “steeped” in the “family” of the sheriff’s office.

He added that it was “not a surprise” that Ikner had access to firearms, given his mother’s job.

According to online records, Ikner lives in Tallahassee, and registered as a Republican in 2022. He last voted in November 2024, according to the records. Earlier this year he was interviewed by FSU News about anti-Trump protests taking place on the campus.

“I think it’s a little too late, he’s [Trump] already going to be inaugurated on January 20 and there’s not really much you can do unless you outright revolt, and I don’t think anyone wants that,” he told the outlet at the time.

Here’s what we know.