New Details Emerge About Alleged FSU Shooter, Phoenix Ikner

The suspected FSU shooter was shot by first responders and taken into custody with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.

In the aftermath of a tragic shooting that took place at Florida State University on Thursday, April 17, new details have surfaced about the suspect, Phoenix Ikner. Identified by authorities during a press conference, Ikner has been linked to a complex family history.

The 20-year-old is the stepson of Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Ikner, though officials initially referred to her as his mother during a press conference.

According to Sheriff Walter McNeil, Ikner used a weapon that belonged to his stepmother. At the time of the attack, he was armed with both a handgun and a shotgun. The shooting left two people, who weren’t students, dead and six others injured near the university’s Student Union.

McNeil divulged that the suspect had been a “long-standing member” of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office’s Youth Advisory Council and was “steeped in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office family,” noting it was not surprising he had access to weapons.

Authorities have also delved into his past, revealing that it is one marked by legal disputes and medical concerns. Records show Ikner was previously known as Christian Gunnar Eriksen as he changed his name in 2020.

In March 2015, he became the subject of a prolonged custody battle that crossed international borders, when his biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, took him from Florida to Norway, violating a custody agreement with his father, Christopher Ikner.

Both he and his mother held dual U.S. and Norwegian citizenship. Eriksen had reportedly claimed they were traveling to South Florida for spring break.

At the time, Ikner’s father described him as a child with special needs, including a growth hormone disorder and ADHD, and he was on prescribed medication. In an affidavit, he shared his concerns that relocating Ikner would disrupt his access to necessary medical care in the U.S.

Following her return to the U.S., Eriksen was arrested at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in July 2015 and later entered a plea of no contest to the charge of illegally removing a child from the state. Months later, she filed a lawsuit against the father, the stepmother, and other family members.

The lawsuit alleged, “The emotional and psychological harm done to the minor child will be evident for years, and will require counseling, and given the child being the age of 11, will have memory impacted by the behaviors of all the defendants for the false claims done on his mother, and for the parental alienation of the close relationship of the minor child.”.

Eriksen’s suit sought over $80,000 in damages, which were to be used towards Ikner’s college fund, but it was eventually dismissed by a judge. Now, the motive behind her son’s actions remains under investigation.

Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police said, “We are working multiple crime scenes, and there are potentially hundreds, if not thousands, of witnesses.” Revell added that the suspect did not comply with commands before being shot by responding officers, though he did not appear to fire at them. He was taken into custody with non-life-threatening injuries.

Now, individuals who crossed paths with Ikner in the past are offering insight into his character, including a former acquaintance of Ikner, Reid Seybold.

The FSU student, who previously interacted with Ikner, served as president of a political discussion group called The Political Round Table at Tallahassee State College. He recalled Ikner’s views often went beyond typical political discourse, touching on topics in ways that reportedly unsettled other members.

Some of the topics Ikner focused on included white supremacy and far-right rhetoric. “It’s been a couple of years now. I can’t give exact quotes. He talked about the ravages of multiculturalism and communism and how it’s ruining America,” Seybold recalled.

Reid Seybold, from a post dated April 18, 2025 | Source: Youtube/@NBCNews.

According to Seybold, Ikner eventually chose to leave the group on his own, sensing that his views were not well received. He added that Ikner was also a member of Tallahassee State College’s Turning Point Chapter and that since their time at Tallahassee State College, he had seen him in passing a couple of times.

Seybold also shared his experience during the shooting, noting that he was in the Bellamy Building, just a short distance from the Student Union, when two people rushed in and mentioned a shooting on campus. Moments earlier, he and his classmates had heard gunshots and noticed someone trying to open their classroom door multiple times.

Reid Seybold, from a post dated April 18, 2025 | Source: Youtube/@NBCNews.

Believing the shooter might be nearby, the group immediately turned off the lights, locked the door, and hid under their desks. Seybold and his classmates hadn’t planned to be on campus that day but had come in to work on a group project.

As the lockdown stretched for about an hour, he sent messages to loved ones, fearing the worst. “I was getting ready to die, which was harrowing,” he narrated.

Reid Seybold, from a post dated April 18, 2025 | Source: Youtube/@NBCNews.

Upon learning that Ikner was the suspected shooter, Seybold said he felt “pure unadulterated anger.” What angered him most was knowing he had essentially been made a statistic by someone familiar.

While still trying to process the events, he admitted that he couldn’t help but question why Ikner would have done such a thing and that it’s something he’d truly like to understand.

Another student familiar with the suspect also said Ikner regularly attended a political discourse club at Tallahassee State College as recently as last semester.

Riley Pusins, the president of the political discourse club, noted that as much as the group was nonpartisan and focused on open debate, members recalled that Ikner frequently expressed far-right views that made others uncomfortable.

Police gather behind caution tape as the investigation unfolds on FSU’s main campus after a deadly shooting | Source: Getty Images.

As per Pusins, his rhetoric often aligned with white supremacist ideologies and drew strong reactions from fellow attendees, some of whom began referring to him as a fascist. While he typically pushed boundaries during meetings, the student noted that his most inappropriate comments were often made afterward.

One more FSU student, Nicholas Lobo, who encountered Ikner through the political discourse group last semester, expressed surprise upon learning he was the suspect in the campus shooting.

Lobo, who recently transferred to FSU, recalled recognizing Ikner’s name when it was shared in a message. While they weren’t close, the student remembered him from the group and said he often took conservative positions but did not come across as radical. “He was pretty normal; he was nice,” Lobo added.

Now, both law enforcement and those who once knew Ikner are examining his past and behavior in hopes of uncovering what led him to carry out such a devastating act and turn a place of learning into a scene of violence.

U.S. President Donald Trump also weighed in on the shooting and condemned it when he delivered a brief statement from the Oval Office on Thursday, April 17, 2025.

Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 17, 2025 | Source: Getty Images.

“It’s a horrible thing. Horrible that things like this take place,” Trump said. He added that he had been “fully briefed” on the situation and described the tragedy as “a shame.”.

Trump’s remarks prompted a flood of responses online. One netizen commented, “Such deep and wise words from our profound leader.” Others were more critical. “I’m surprised they were able to pin him down for a comment between rounds of golf 🙄,” one wrote.

Another user stated, “He doesn’t know the words he never had sympathy for anyone or empathy for anyone. He only has sympathy and empathy for himself.” One post read, “The recent shooting is truly heartbreaking, and it’s important that we don’t overlook its impact. My thoughts and deepest condolences go out to everyone affected by this tragedy.”.

FSU students gather for a vigil near the student center following the April 17 shooting | Source: Getty Images.

More reactions followed. A separate commenter argued, “His lack and compassion is deafening,” while another urged, “Trump try using your big boy words.”.

Another asked bluntly, “1st grader talk?” while one noted, “This is the first time he has acknowledged a school shooting this year. I wonder what we don’t know yet.”.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 17, 2025 | Source: Getty Images.

Amid the online debate, Trump was asked by reporters whether he would consider tighter gun regulations in response to the shooting. He reiterated his position on the Second Amendment. “These things are terrible. But the gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do, phrases used probably too often,” he said.

He added, “As far as legislation is concerned, this has been going on for a long time. “I have an obligation to protect the Second Amendment. I ran on the Second Amendment, among many other things, and I will always protect the Second Amendment.”.

He also remarked that he was familiar with the region, noting that he knew “the very area well” and had knowledge of both the university and the state of Florida.

FSU President Richard McCullough also addressed the university community, calling the incident a “tragic and senseless act of violence at the heart of our campus.” He said the university’s immediate focus was on supporting victims, their families, and the broader community.

“It means students, faculty, and staff who were nearby and are now trying to make sense of what they experienced. And it means every person in our campus community who is feeling shaken or overwhelmed,” McCullough said.

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis responded publicly Thursday evening, posting a video on X in which he and his wife, Casey, offered condolences and support. “We’re mourning the two individuals who lost their lives in this tragic attack, and we wish well those who are currently recovering in the hospital,” he added.

DeSantis emphasized accountability, “This killer must and will be brought to justice to the fullest extent of the law.” He also praised the quick response from law enforcement officers, “They ran towards the danger, they stopped this killer from inflicting more harm, and there is no question that they saved lives.”.

According to an update from FSU Alerts, the families of the victims have been notified. The university also announced that students who became separated from their belongings during the lockdown will be able to retrieve them in the coming days.

While students will eventually return to their studies, the trauma of the shooting will take time to heal. As they resume their academic lives, the emotional scars left by the violence will linger, and the process of recovery will be long and difficult for many.