On Thursday, April 17, a gunman opened fire near the Student Union at Florida State University. Two victims are reported deceased, with six additional victims being treated for their injuries. The University went into lockdown mode around noon that day, and all activities were canceled through the remainder of the weekend. As students cope with the horror and tragedy of the day, the suspect has been identified and is under supervision at a local hospital.
Florida State University Shooter Accessed Family Weapons
On Friday, a day after the shooting, police released information about the alleged Florida State University gunman. The suspect’s name is Phoenix Akner, a 20-year-old student at the university. He is the son of a sheriff’s deputy, and the alleged rifle used in the shooting spree was his mother’s former service weapon, which she kept as personal property. Ilkner shot and killed two individuals in the spree, and injured six more. The two individuals killed were not university students, and the six injured are expected to recover. Law enforcement states that the gunman was shot by police after refusing to comply with their orders.
Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil shared that the alleged gunman had been a part of the sheriff’s youth council. “He has been steeped in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office 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.” Reportedly, the original rifle that the gunman used jammed, which is when he switched to the handgun.
McNeil also added, “This event is tragic in more ways than you people in the audience could ever fathom from a law enforcement perspective. But I will tell you this, 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 this state and across this nation.” FBI also shared with NBC that the suspect had changed his name from Christian Gunner Eriksen to Phoenix Ikner in 2022.
Classmates Say Shooter Held White Supremacist Views
Ikner is a registered Republican, and classmates say he often shared with them White Supremacist viewpoints. During Ikner’s two years at Tallahassee State College, a classmate who is now a senior at Florida State University alleged he participated in a school political discussion group. According to Reid Seybold, the group’s president, “He espoused so much white supremacist rhetoric and far-right rhetoric, as well.” The current club president confirmed these statements as well. Ikner was asked to leave the group, as it was a nonpartisan debate group.
The Florida State University shooting suspect was also quoted in FSUnews.com after an anti-Trump rally was held on campus. “These people are usually pretty entertaining, usually not for good reasons,” said Ikner. “I think it’s a little too late, he’s [Trump] already going to be inaugurated on Jan. 20 and there’s not really much you can do unless you outright revolt, and I don’t think anyone wants that.” He has since been removed from the article.
Ikner also reportedly had an unstable childhood. He was diagnosed with multiple special education disorders, including ADHD and growth hormone disorder. A custody battle between his mother and father got contentious. At first, his mother had custody but with shared visitation. She took Ikner to Norway, and the father took her to court over a violation of rights. In the end, he was returned to his father, and his mother was sentenced to 200 days in jail and two years of probation. She was allowed no contact during the sentence.
Community Reacts To The Florida State University Tragedy
Many students, community members, and government officials have come out to speak on the heartbreaking Florida State University tragedy. President Donald Trump spoke to reporters yesterday. “It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place,” he said, but he pushed back on the idea of gun safety laws. “The gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do.” University President Richard McCullough shared his pain for the victims and their families. “Our hearts go out to our students and the victims of this terrible tragedy,” he said.
Reid Seybold also told NBC about the feeling he had at the time of the shooting.“I was texting everybody I loved, letting know that I loved them. I was getting ready to die, which was harrowing. I don’t know why he would have done something like this,” Seybold said. “I don’t know where it would have come from, but I’d sure like to find out.”
This is the second time that a school shooting has taken place at Florida State University, and also the second school shooting that has occurred this week. These instances are far too common in the United States, and our students are left picking up the pieces. Another community is left devastated and traumatized, and thoughts and prayers are not enough. Change needs to be made to lower the number of these brutal, heartbreaking attacks.
As of now, no motive has been released regarding why the suspect would have committed this vicious crime. As more information is released, the story will continue to receive updates.
