Two Dead Six Injured in FSU Shooting; Suspect is son of Leon County sheriff's deputy

TALLAHASSEE — Twenty-year-old Pheonix Ikner, a current FSU student and son of a Leon County sheriff's deputy, is the suspect in custody. Ikner was shot by responding officers and is currently hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Sheriff Walter McNeil made the announcement at a Thursday afternoon press conference. Ikner is said to have had access to one of his mother's personal weapons, which was found at the scene, the sheriff said. The younger Ikner had a handgun and a shotgun with him, according to police.

Deputy Ikner has been with the department for 18 years, according to McNeil. He called her service to the community exceptional but said that her son, "had access, unfortunately, to one of her weapons." Sheriff McNeil said that Phoenix Ikner was also a longtime member of his department's Youth Advisory Council. 

Police responded to reports of an active shooter at the university’s student union Thursday morning, according to an alert from the university, which went into lockdown and canceled classes through Friday.

In response to a tweet from FDLE on the incident, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has pushed to make it easier for teens to purchase guns, tweeted, "Our Prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding."

Just before 1:30 p.m., Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare spokesperson Stephanie Derzypolski confirmed to the Tallahassee Democrat that the Level II trauma center had received six patients, one in critical condition and the rest in serious condition.