Tragedy once again touched the college community in the U.S. on Thursday, April 17, 2025, when a student at Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee staged the nation’s sixth mass shooting of the year.
Within hours of the accident, Tallahassee authorities identified the attacker as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, who they identified as the son of a Leon County Sheriff’s deputy, who used a handgun registered to his mother, a law enforcement veteran.
Two dead after shooting at FSU
🚨 #BREAKING: Police announce the shooter at Florida State University is the son of a Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy
He’s been identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, and used one of his mother’s weapons to commit the mass shooting at FSU.
HOLY CRAP. pic.twitter.com/mlkrQAQlvg
– Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 17, 2025
The incident left two people dead – none of them students – and seven people injured, including the attacker himself, who was arrested and taken to a hospital after being wounded by police.
The victims were hit by gunfire at various points on campus during the minutes of chaos.
The attack and the reaction of the authorities
The shooting occurred on Thursday, April 17, at 12:02 p.m. (EST).
The university immediately activated an active shooter alert, and the campus remained on full lockdown for more than three hours while authorities secured the area.
FSU is home to more than 40,000 students, many of them from minority and international communities.
During a press conference, Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil confirmed that Ikner used a firearm belonging to his mother, Deputy Jéssica Ikner, who has worked for more than 18 years with the Sheriff’s Department.
McNeil indicated that the youth had knowledge and training in the use of weapons, in part because he had served on the sheriff’s Youth Advisory Council.
Este suceso es trágico en más sentidos de los que pueden imaginar. Vamos a procesar este caso con todo el peso de la ley
Walt McNeil, sheriff del condado de León
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell explained that Phoenix Ikner did not comply with orders when confronted by officers.
One of the weapons found at the scene was identified as his mother’s personal weapon, acquired years ago when she received new official equipment.
Profile of the attacker and commotion in the community
Phoenix Ikner was a third-year student in Political Science.
An Instagram profile, deleted shortly after the attack, described him as a “history lover, traveler and coffee addict.”
The university’s president, Richard McCullough, issued a statement expressing the deep regret of the academic community:
Estamos desconsolados. Acompañamos en el dolor a las familias de las víctimas, a los heridos y a todos los que están sufriendo
Richard McCullough, presidente de la FSU
Political reactions: division over access to weapons
From the White House, President Donald Trump lamented the event, but rejected any legislative changes on gun control.
“It’s a disgrace and it’s horrible that this kind of thing happens,” he declared.
“But it’s not the gun that fires, it’s the people. I protect the Second Amendment from the beginning,” the president said.
Governor Ron DeSantis posted on his X account that authorities actively responded to the situation and asked for prayers for the victims and their loved ones.
Also reacting was Daniel Perez, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, who called the shooting “any parent’s worst nightmare.”
A worrying pattern in 2025
Buzzy
With this incident, the United States reaches its sixth mass shooting so far this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, an organization that tracks gun violence in the country.
In all cases, the weapons involved have been easily accessible, either through legal purchases, borrowed or, in this case, family possession.
For many Hispanic parents in the U.S., these types of tragedies reinforce the urgency of understanding safety protocols at colleges and schools, and engaging in conversations with their children about responsible gun use and mental health.
The investigation is ongoing. Leon County authorities and the university are working to clarify the motive for the attack.
Phoenix Ikner is expected to face multiple criminal charges once he is released from the hospital.
For more updates, visit QuéOnnda.com.
