FSU shooting: Mom speaks out after suspected shooter son is identified as ‘white supremacist’
Phoenix Ikner was removed from a school political club over ‘far-right rhetoric’ he shared, his classmates claim
The suspect in the Florida State University shooting reportedly shared “white supremacist views” with concerned classmates before yesterday’s attack that killed two people and injured six others.
Phoenix Ikner had a tumultuous childhood, according to court records showing the biological mother of the 20-year-old was accused of removing him from the U.S. when he was 10.
He later changed his name from Christian Eriksen to share the surname of his mother, Leon County Deputy Jessica Ikner, whose former service weapon he used during the shooting, police said.
His biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, told ABC News on Friday that she initially worried he might have been hurt; when he was named a suspect, she “collapsed.”
"There’s so much that needs to be said about this, but I just can’t talk without crying. We need time to process all this,” she said.
Following the attack, a classmate at Ikner’s former school claimed the suspect was told to leave a “political round table” club after he “espoused so much white supremacist rhetoric, and far-right rhetoric as well, to the point where we had to exercise that rule.”
Once Ikner is released from the hospital, where he is expected to be for a while, he’ll be “taken to a local detention facility where he will face the charges up to and including first-degree murder,” Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said Friday.
Investigators had not revealed a motive as of Friday evening or released the victims’ identities, but some family members have come forward.
The two victims who lost their lives were identified Friday as Tiru Chabba and Robert Morales. Both men were fathers.
Parkland survivors now attend FSU, marking the second school shooting they've had to endure
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.”
Injured victims are now in 'fair condition'
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.
'We are heartbroken': FSU president says in the wake of the shooting
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.
Suspect espoused 'white supremacist rhetoric': report
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."
Suspect 'never spoke about guns' years earlier in sheriff's office youth advisory council: report
“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.”
Former classmate 'shocked' to learn who suspect was: report
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.
Two men were killed in shooting, police chief says
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.
Hospital releases statement on 'heartbreaking situation'
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.”
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.
Timeline on how shooting unfolded
12.02pm: Florida State University issues alert on active gunman near student union buildings
12.20pm: Police respond to the scene as students instructed to take shelter
12.39pm: Second alert reiterates people should stay in shelter as police activity continues on campus
1.48pm: Donald Trump tells the world’s media is has been briefed on the shooting
1.50pm: First reports of six victims in hospital
2.44pm: Florida State University cancels all classes through to Friday as police clear campus rooms
3.18pm: Florida State University says law enforcement has neutralized the threat and lifts instructions to stay in shelter