TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The motive remained unclear Friday morning in a shooting that killed two people and injured six others on the campus of Florida State University (FSU) on Thursday.
According to officials, the son of a Leon County Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested after he was accused of opening fire and shooting multiple people around 11:50 a.m. near the student union.
Two people were killed and six others were injured in the shooting, officials said in a news conference Thursday evening. Police said the two men who died were not students, but no other victim information was immediately released.
In a conference on Friday afternoon, the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare medical staff said that all six are expected to make a full recovery.
According to Tallahassee Police Department Chief Lawrence Revell, one of the six people hospitalized was injured while running away from the shooting.
“What occurred today was a heinous and despicable act of violence,” Revell said.
On Thursday evening, a surgeon at Tallahassee Memorial Health said the six people who were injured were in “fair” condition.
RELATED | Tallahassee surgeon says 6 FSU shooting victims in ‘fair’ condition
The shooting sparked chaos at the university and prompted a huge police response around noon on Thursday.
Police said Phoenix Ikner, 20, was believed to be a current FSU student and opened fire around 11:50 a.m. near the student union. Ikner was shot by responding law enforcement and taken to a local hospital, officials said. No members of law enforcement were hurt.
Revell said Ikner was in critical condition but suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Officials said Ikner was confronted and did not comply with commands before he was shot and did not fire at officers.
Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said the mother of the shooter is a school resource officer and had been with the agency for over 18 years and her “service to this community has been exceptional.”
“Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons, and that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene,” McNeil said. “It’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons.”
Click the video player below to watch Thursday’s news conference on the shooting
Officials said the handgun recovered at the scene was one that the suspect’s mother used as a deputy prior to the agency transitioning to a new handgun, so it is considered to be a personal weapon.
McNeil said deputies are investigating how the weapon was used and what other weapons he may have had access to.
McNeil said Ikner was a long-standing member of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office Youth Advisory Council and engaged in a number of training programs.
“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,” McNeil said. “Our deepest condolences go out to the FSU family, the families of the students who are here, and we understand that you all have been devastated because of this person’s actions.”
FSU’s president, Richard McCullough, released a statement on X.
Dear FSU community,
— FSU President Richard McCullough (@PresMcCullough) April 17, 2025
Today, we experienced a tragic and senseless act of violence at the heart of our campus.
At lunchtime, an active shooter opened fire at the Student Union. Two were killed. Six others were injured.
We are heartbroken. We are grieving with the families,…
An active shooter was first reported by the school’s alert system at 12:01 p.m. The alert said the shooting occurred at the student union, known as Oglesby Union.
“Police are on the way. People are asked to seek shelter and await further instructions. Lock and stay away from all doors and windows and be prepared to take additional protective measures,” the alert read.
Students on FSU campus are exiting an area near the student union with their hands above their head. pic.twitter.com/mWKhDnfjFs
— Jason Delgado (@JasonDelgadoX) April 17, 2025
The school said law enforcement was clearing rooms on the main campus at 1:04 p.m.
At 3:17 p.m., another campus alert was issued saying “law enforcement has neutralized the threat.”
Students were glued to their phones, some visibly emotional, while others hugged each other. Dozens gathered near the music school, waiting for news.
Ryan Cedergren, a 21-year-old communications student, said he and about 30 others hid in the bowling alley in the lower level of the student union after seeing students running from a nearby bar.
“In that moment, it was survival,” he said.
Other students spoke about their experience.
On Thursday night, FSU officials said the campus community will be able to retrieve personal belongings from select campus buildings between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday.
All campus buildings will be locked out but university faculty, staff, and volunteers will be on site at each of the following locations to assist individuals with claiming their belongings:
- Bellamy Building
- EAOS Building
- Carothers Building
- Dirac Science Library
- FSU Student Union
- Strozier Library
- HCB Classroom Building
- Leach Center
- Longmire Building
- Love Building
- Montgomery Hall
- Moore Auditorium
- Rovetta Business A&B
- Thagard Building
Officials said if a student’s belongings were left in another campus building not on this list, or if they are unable to retrieve their belongings on Friday, they should call 850-644-4444 between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. to schedule assistance.
Anyone who may have witnessed anything of value before, during, or after the shooting was asked to call 850-891-4987.
Students who need assistance can go to the Donna L. Tucker Center, where the university is providing counseling, health care and other support services. Family members are also able to go to the Tucker Center for assistance.
The FBI has also established a digital tips media line where witnesses can upload photos and videos prior to and during the incident at fbi.gov/fsushooting.
FSU said that all classes and university events have been canceled through Friday. All athletic events have been canceled through Sunday, April 20. The canceled events include three baseball and three softball games.
It’s not immediately clear if FSU teams scheduled for road events will also see their games canceled or postponed.
The Tallahassee Police Department will be the lead agency in the investigation.
“We have multiple crime scenes. This is a very large area we’re covering. We have 1000s, hundreds of 1000s, or hundreds or 1000s of witnesses. And again, this is an active, ongoing investigation. So the information that we will be allowed to release right now may be fairly limited,” Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said.
News4JAX sent multiple crews to Tallahassee and will provide updates.
Florida State University is one of Florida’s 12 public universities, with its main campus in Tallahassee. About 44,000 students are enrolled in the university, per the school’s 2024 fact sheet.
Back in 2014, the main library was the site of a shooting that wounded three people. Officers shot and killed the gunman, 31-year-old Myron May.
