Following the shooting at Florida State University (FSU), authorities have confirmed two people dead and seven more wounded, including the alleged assailant, who was identified as a student of the same school.
The event occurred shortly after noon on Thursday, April 17, 2025, when the university – one of the largest in the state, with more than 40,000 students enrolled – issued an “active shooter” alert at 12:02 p.m. Eastern time (16:02 GMT).
Who is the attacker and what is his status?
The alarm activated the emergency protocol throughout the campus and forced students, faculty and administrative staff to take shelter and close classrooms, following internal security instructions.
At a press conference hours later, Tallahassee Police confirmed that the alleged attacker is Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old student at the same university.
According to authorities, Ikner is hospitalized with injuries after being arrested in a confrontation with police inside the campus.
Although the motive for the attack has not yet been disclosed, it was confirmed that the two fatalities were not students.
The six injured people were taken to different hospitals in the city, and their health condition varies from stable to serious.
Testimonials from the campus
On the scene at the FSU shooting this Florida State University student calls out Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis:
“I’m gonna call on Governor Ron DeSantis [and] Donald Trump. This stuff keeps going on. We’re praying every day. Praying is good. Spirituality is good. But prayers… pic.twitter.com/YoX7Gs1O4G
– Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) April 17, 2025
During the operation, images circulated on social networks showing heavily armed officers entering academic buildings, while students remained locked in classrooms.
A special code was established so that students could discreetly advise if they were safe, without revealing their exact location.
One of the most moving testimonies came from FSU student Daniella Streety, who spoke to NBC News:
“I saw a student being carried away on what looked like a stretcher and kept on the street until an ambulance could pick him up,” he recounted.
I also saw another injured student being transported in a desk chair because there were no stretchers available nearby
Daniella Streety, FSU'student
The university declared the campus “safe” approximately three and a half hours after the shooting, after confirming the arrest of the attacker and ruling out further threats.
Official reactions and preventive measures
From Washington, President Donald Trump called the event “a disgrace,” and lamented that “this kind of thing keeps happening on our campuses.”
For his part, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said through his X account (formerly Twitter) that authorities actively responded to the situation and asked for prayers for the victims.
State House Speaker Daniel Perez expressed dismay and described the attack as “the worst nightmare for any parent.”
As a precautionary measure, public schools and colleges in Leon County, where Tallahassee is located, were closed for the remainder of the day by order of local authorities.
What should the U.S. Hispanic community know?
Buzzy
This incident reinforces the growing concern of Hispanic parents in the U.S., many of whom have children attending public universities such as FSU.
Gun violence has become a constant topic in educational spaces, which has generated debates about security, mental health and access to weapons.
If you have family members in educational institutions, make sure they are aware of the active shooter safety protocol, keep their phones charged, and follow the official channels of their institution.
We will continue to report as details of the case are updated.
For real-time updates, you can follow FSU on its official website or the Tallahassee Police Department.
For more updates, visit QuéOnnda.com.
