Police Reveal Identity of FSU Shooting Suspect, 20, Who Has a Shocking Connection to the Sheriff’s Office

After the deadly campus shooting rattled students, attention turned to the suspect’s deep ties to law enforcement — and how he accessed a deputy’s weapon.

A shooting at Florida State University (FSU) on Thursday, April 17, left two people dead and six others injured. According to the Miami Herald, the suspect, identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a student at the university, is the son of a Leon County Sheriff’s deputy and had longstanding ties to the agency.

The authorities revealed that Ikner was no stranger to law enforcement. Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil confirmed that he had been actively involved in the agency’s Youth Advisory Council and had participated in other law enforcement training programs.

“He has been steep in the Leon County Sheriff’s family, engaged in a number of training programs that we have … so it’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons,” said McNeil during a press conference.

His mother, Jessica Ikner, is a deputy assigned to protect a local public school and is well-known within the department. Authorities said the suspect used a handgun that once belonged to his mother. It was her former service weapon, which she had legally bought for personal use.

The violence unfolded shortly after noon near the university’s Student Union. Officers responded rapidly, shooting and detaining Ikner before transporting him to the hospital. He remains hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell.

Florida State University (FSU) students and faculty wait in a grassy area near the Student Union during the active shooter response on April 17, 2025 | Source: Getty Images.

FSU Police Chief Jason Trumbower later confirmed that Ikner was also carrying a shotgun, although authorities do not believe it was used. “We have not confirmed anyone was shot with a shotgun, but that could change,” Trumbower stated.

Two adult men were killed in the attack. Five others were wounded by gunfire, and a sixth person was injured while trying to flee, police said. The victims’ names have not been released. Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare later confirmed that it had received six patients — one in critical condition and the remaining five in serious condition.

The attack played out in front of students nearby. Among them was McKenzie Heeter, who told CNN she had just left the Student Union when she noticed an orange Hummer parked along a service road. Standing beside the vehicle was a man holding what appeared to be a large firearm.

Police investigate the suspected shooter’s vehicle outside the Florida State University (FSU) Student Union following the April 17, 2025 | Source: Getty Images.

Heeter said he fired a shot in her general direction, where others were also walking, then retrieved a handgun from the vehicle and turned toward the building.

“She was just walking. And he just turned around and shot her,” Heeter recalled, referring to a woman wearing purple scrubs who was struck in the back. Heeter ran nearly a mile to her apartment, describing 20 seconds of continuous gunfire as she fled.

McKenzie Heeter describes fleeing the scene after witnessing the FSU shooting on April 17, 2025 | Source: YouTube/CNN.

She later said the shooter appeared calm and expressionless, though he wore a scowl. “I really just want to find out about the woman in the purple scrubs and if she is OK,” she said.

As chaos spread across campus, law enforcement moved swiftly to secure the scene. The campus was placed on lockdown as armed officers swept buildings and evacuated students with their hands raised — a precaution to ensure safety.

Videos captured by ABC journalist Forrest Saunders showed the disarray left behind. Laptops, shoes, backpacks, and half-eaten meals lay scattered across the lawn, left behind in the rush to escape.

Emergency responders provided medical aid at the scene, loading several victims into ambulances. In one video, a law enforcement officer is seen receiving a pair of handcuffs before securing them on a person lying on a stretcher inside an ambulance.

As the community began to process the shock, another video emerged on X that stirred additional outrage. The footage showed a person sipping Starbucks while walking past an injured individual on the ground, appearing to record the moment on a phone.

Though the identity of the individual remains unknown, the clip quickly spread and drew intense backlash across social media. “How do you walk by and not try to help?” wrote one person. Another added, “You spelled Americana wrong.” A third declared, “this [sic] heartless person needs to be outed and publicly shamed. #fsustarbucks #fsu.”.

Crime scene and sheriff’s vehicles block a road leading to the FSU campus as authorities investigate the April 17, 2025 | Source: Getty Images.

A X commenter remarked, “Sending love to FSU. Horrible situation. Just saw a video of some students walking past a wounded person while drinking their Starbucks, taking a video. Unreal how you can take a video of someone wounded and walk past rather than at least checking if they’re okay.”.

Another stated, “There’s a 6-second video clip purportedly of a person with a Starbuck’s [sic] in hand walking past wounded on the campus of Florida State University. WHERE IS YOUR HUMANITY? These victims need comfort more than you need clicks.”.

FSU students attend a vigil near the student center after the April 17 shooting | Source: Getty Images.

However, not everyone agreed with the outrage. “The video posted is unrelated to the shooting today. As an alum I’m disgusted that people are using this tragedy to sew [sic] division in our country,” noted another person on X.

While discussion continued online, authorities continued working to piece together the events behind the shooting. As of Friday, they have not determined a motive for the attack. The investigation remains active.

Law enforcement officers secure the scene near the Florida State University Student Union on April 17, 2025 | Source: Getty Images.

Just two days earlier, another school shooting took place — this time at a high school in Dallas.

The shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School (WHHS) in Dallas on Tuesday afternoon, April 15, left four people hospitalized. Police responded shortly after 1 p.m. to reports of gunfire at the campus on Langdon Road.

Police and emergency vehicles respond to Wilmer-Hutchins High School following reports of a shooting. | Source: YouTube/CBS News Texas.

According to CBS News Texas, authorities confirmed by 2:20 p.m. that the school was secure and there was no ongoing threat.

The Dallas Fire Department said three of the four victims were shot, with injuries considered non-life-threatening. Three of the victims are also between 15 and 18 years old; the fourth person’s age is unconfirmed.

All were taken to nearby hospitals, including Baylor Scott & White Health, Parkland, and Methodist Dallas Medical Center.

At the time of the shooting, law enforcement sources reportedly said that the suspect, identified as a student, remained at large. Additionally, authorities had not released further identifying details. However, new details about the suspect have since emerged.

The suspect has recently been identified as 17-year-old Tracy Denard Haynes Jr. According to reports, Haynes Jr. surrendered to authorities at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center around 9 p.m. on Tuesday evening (April 15). He is now in custody at the Dallas County Jail and faces four charges of aggravated assault in a mass shooting, which is a first-degree felony.

According to an affidavit from a special agent with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Haynes Jr. is accused of intentionally or recklessly attempting to inflict serious bodily harm or death upon multiple students at WHHS.

The report also indicates that during the incident, Haynes Jr. used a deadly weapon, committing “the assault as part of a mass shooting, where Haynes Jr. discharged a firearm to cause serious bodily injury or death, or to attempt to cause serious bodily injury or death, to four or more persons: during the same criminal transaction.”.

The charges fall under Texas Penal Code 22.02(b)(4), which addresses aggravated assault in the context of mass shootings.

Emergency responders, including Dallas police, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), arrived at the school. Aerial images showed students being evacuated toward Eagle Stadium for reunification with their families. Roughly 900 students were on campus at the time.

Emergency crews gather outside Wilmer-Hutchins High School following a reported shooting. | Source: YouTube/ABC News Live.

Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde later announced the cancellation of classes for the remainder of the week. She added that mental health professionals would be available to support students and staff during the recovery process.

Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde speaks at a press briefing following the Wilmer-Hutchins High School shooting. | Source: YouTube/FOX 4.

Authorities are examining how the firearm made it onto campus despite security protocols. Dallas Independent School District (ISD) Assistant Chief of Police Christina Smith said the firearm was not brought in during the school’s “regular intake time,” and emphasized that “it was not a failure” of school staff, protocols, or the detection machinery in place.

Offering a possible explanation, Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins told Working for All Alike (WFAA) that “There was a [sic] outside student who probably opened the door to let someone in.”.

Atkins’ suggestion proved to be correct, as reports confirm an arrest affidavit stipulates that an unidentified student let Haynes Jr. into the school through an “unsecured door” around 1 p.m. Additionally, new surveillance video shows the exact moment Haynes Jr. opened fire.

“The affidavit says Haynes struck multiple students, adding, he approached one student and appeared to take a point-blank shot,” divulges a reporter contextualizing what happened.

In the aftermath of the shooting, state leaders have spoken out about the incident. Governor Greg Abbott released a statement offering support to the school district and law enforcement.

He said, “Our hearts go out to the victims of this senseless act of violence at Wilmer-Hutchins High School,” and pledged resources to help locate the suspect.

While officials shared updates with the public, students who were inside the school spoke out about what they experienced. An 18-year-old female student told CBS News Texas she was inside a classroom beside the hallway when the shots rang out. “We heard all the gunshots… like seven,” she said.

Students evacuate Wilmer-Hutchins High School following a shooting that left multiple people injured. | Source: YouTube/NBC News.

After being told they could leave the classroom, she saw “a lot of blood on the floor.” Reflecting on the incident, she said it wasn’t the first time a shooting had occurred at the school and pointed to ongoing security concerns.

According to her, it is not uncommon for students to bring firearms onto campus, and some have shared images of weapons on school grounds via social media.

Another male student, speaking to ABC News, said the group was talking when the first shots were fired. “We were still standing there confused, and then we heard more,” the student added. After seeing students run and hearing screams, they returned to the band room to take cover.

A student describes the moment gunfire broke out at Wilmer-Hutchins High School. | Source: YouTube/ABC News.

A third female student, interviewed by ABC News, said someone in the class saw a bullet hit their door window.

“That’s when my heart really sunk,” the student said. This student also questioned how a firearm could enter the school and criticized the lack of enforcement, “I feel like the security… they weren’t really like doing their job at the moment.”.

A student speaks following a shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School that left four injured on April 15, 2025. | Source: YouTube/NBC News.

Aldo, a high school senior, told WFAA he knew one of the students who was shot and helped him afterward. He said the student had been running behind him in the cafeteria. “He was basically asking for help. He was like, ‘Hey, I just — something hit me or something,’ and he just said, ‘Take off my boot so I can see it,'” Aldo recalled.

Aldo discovered that the student had a “big gash or wound on his leg” that made it difficult to move, and eventually, he lost feeling in it. He described the moment as one that required instinctive action, and he now feels calmer knowing his loved ones are safe.

The latest shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School follows an incident in April 2024, when a student brought a handgun onto campus and shot another student inside a classroom. According to Fox News, both individuals were 17 years old and knew each other.

Although the Dallas ISD campus was equipped with metal detectors, the weapon still made it inside. At the time, Elizalde said a teacher’s swift response prevented further harm.

“He was able to direct the student away from the campus so that he could take care of, first, the injured student and, second, to make sure that the alleged suspect did not enter into the rest of the school building,” Elizalde said.

The suspect was apprehended near the stadium, and the weapon was retrieved. The injured student was expected to recover. In the aftermath of that incident, parents and students raised ongoing concerns about security lapses.

Angelika Partida, a tenth-grader, said school staff often don’t thoroughly inspect backpacks. As she bent down to unzip her own bag, she mimicked the quick motion of how staff typically check it. “They just open our backpack like this. They do like this, and they don’t check them all the way through,” she explained.

District officials said they were reviewing surveillance footage and school procedures to determine how weapons were brought in.

Acknowledging weaknesses in the system, Elizalde stated, “This is absolutely unacceptable and unimaginable, but it is happening across schools in America. It cannot be the normal response. We must use this tragedy to learn something.”.