Based on information provided by the Associated Press and News Service Florida
A shooting occurred Thursday at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, leaving two people dead and at least six wounded. A suspect has been taken into police custody following the incident, according to authorities.
FSU Senior Sam Swartz was in class when the shooting happened:
Victims and Casualties
Two people were killed in the attack, and at least five others were wounded, according to the police chief. At least six people have been hospitalized, with one person in critical condition and others in serious condition, a spokesperson for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare confirmed.
Suspect Information
Police have identified the gunman as a 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, who is the son of a sheriff’s deputy. Authorities confirmed that a service weapon was found at the scene of the shooting. The investigation is ongoing as law enforcement works to determine a motive for the attack.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell says officers shot and wounded the shooter after he refused to comply with commands.
Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil revealed the alleged shooter’s identity and his relation to Deputy Jessica Ikner, who has been with the sheriff’s office for over 18 years.
McNeil says the alleged shooter was a longstanding member of the sheriff’s office’s youth advisory council and engaged in a number of training programs with the office.
“This is obviously a heinous crime. We will make sure that we do everything we can to prosecute and make sure that we send a message to folks that this will never be tolerated here in Leon County, and I dare say across the state and across this nation.” McNeil said
Andres Perez, a 20-year-old junior, was in a nearby classroom when the lockdown alarm went off. As the alert echoed through the halls, he and his classmates quickly pushed desks against the door, bracing for the worst. About 15 minutes later, police officers arrived to escort them to safety.
“I’m always at the Student Union,” Perez said. “So the moment I heard the threat was there, my heart sank. I was terrified.”
As students scrambled for the stairs and a maintenance elevator, Swartz said he joined others behind trash cans in a corner of the student union, making a “little fort out of plywood,” where they stayed for about five to 10 minutes until police arrived.
“Everyone had their hands up,” Swartz added.
Students were advised just after 3 p.m. that “law enforcement has neutralized the threat.”
Still, students were advised to avoid the student union and some other campus buildings that were considered an active crime scene.
FSU sophomore Braden Tinch said he heard gunshots, but at first didn’t realize how close they were.
“Your body just kind of goes into fight or flight,” Tinch said. “I kind of thought about it, when I got to safety, about what just happened. It was crazy. I don’t think I’ll ever experience something like that again. It was insane.”
Lorenzo Santiago, another FSU sophomore, called the incident “definitely a nerve-wracking situation, for sure.”
“I am sorry for whoever was injured and affected by the situation. This is just horrible,” Santiago said. “I don’t understand how things like this continue to happen. It’s just awful.”
Thursday’s shooting came a little more than a decade after a 31-year-old attorney with a semi-automatic handgun wounded three people before being shot to death at FSU’s Strozier Library.
University Response
Florida State University has canceled all classes through Friday in response to the tragic incident. The shooting comes just two weeks before the university’s scheduled commencement ceremonies, which are set to take place on May 2-3.
About Florida State University
Florida State University is one of Florida’s 12 public universities, with its main campus located in Tallahassee, just minutes from the state Capitol building. The university serves approximately 44,300 students.
University police chief Jason Trumbower says the shooter opened fire at about 11:50 a.m., shooting individuals around the student union building.
So far in 2025, there have been 81 mass shootings as of April 17, including this latest one in Florida.
This is Florida’s 6th mass shooting so far this year.
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