Following the tragic shooting at Florida State University - which left two dead and five more injured - more details have emerged about the alleged shooter.
The 20-year-old suspect accused of killing two and injuring five more in a shooting rampage has been revealed to be the stepson of a longtime sheriff’s deputy — and had deep ties to law enforcement programs before the deadly attack.
Phoenix Ikner was taken into custody on Thursday (April 17), carrying a handgun that once belonged to Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Ikner, according to officials and records.
He also had a shotgun at the time, and police say he was shot by officers before being hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, per CBS News.
Authorities have not confirmed a motive, but the facts surrounding Ikner’s past paint a disturbing picture of a young man once immersed in the law enforcement community, now accused of unleashing chaos on a college campus.
"Steeped in the Sheriff’s Office family"
Stepmom Jessica Ikner, a deputy with more than 18 years of service, has not yet issued comment on her stepson's actions.
Sheriff Walter McNeil described her as someone whose “service to this community has been exceptional.” McNeil said Phoenix was “steeped in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office family and engaged in a number of training programs that we have, so it’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons.”
McNeil added at a press conference, per Fox News: "Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons and that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene. And we are continuing that investigation into how that weapon was used."
Phoenix was not only around law enforcement — he actively participated in it. He served on the sheriff’s Youth Advisory Council, a program designed to “provide an open line of communication between the youth of Leon County and local law enforcement.” McNeil called him a “longstanding member.”
Kenniyah Houston, another member of the youth council, told CNN she was shocked to learn that the suspected shooter had been part of the same group. “That’s what it was all about – making better decisions,” she said. “For something like this to happen from someone in a group like that is scary … it’s devastating.”
"You are my war club"
Before the shooting, an Instagram account bearing Ikner’s name and photo included a biblical quote in its bio: “You are my war club, my weapon for battle; with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms.”
The account was taken offline after Ikner was identified publicly.
According to Florida voter registration records, Ikner is a registered Republican. He was quoted earlier this year in a student newspaper article covering anti-Trump protests ahead of the presidential inauguration.
“These people are usually pretty entertaining, usually not for good reasons,” he said in the article. “I think it’s a little too late, he’s [Trump] already going to be inaugurated on Jan. 20 and there’s not really much you can do unless you outright revolt, and I don’t think anyone wants that.”
Red flags in college clubs and childhood records
Reid Seybold, an FSU student who knew Ikner from a political discussion group, said he was asked to leave due to behavior that made others uncomfortable.
“He had continually made enough people uncomfortable where certain people had stopped coming. That’s kind of when we reached the breaking point with Phoenix, and we asked him to leave,” Seybold told CNN.
Seybold described Ikner’s statements as going “beyond conservatism,” adding, “It’s been a couple of years now. I can’t give exact quotes.” He recalled Ikner talking “about the ravages of multiculturalism and communism and how it’s ruining America.”
A tangled family history
Court records reveal that Phoenix Ikner — born Christian Gunnar Eriksen — had a difficult childhood marked by international legal battles, ABC News reports.
When he was 10, his biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, took him to Norway in violation of a custody agreement, according to court documents.
A sheriff’s affidavit states that she told the child’s father she was taking him to South Florida for spring break in March 2015. Instead, she “fled the country with him in violation of their custody agreement,” taking him to Norway.
The child and his biological mother held dual citizenship in the US and Norway. She was later arrested and pleaded no contest to removing a minor from the state. Her sentence included 200 days in jail, most of which she had already served, along with two years of community control and probation. She was also ordered to have no contact with her son or his teachers, doctors, or counselors during that time — unless permitted by court.
She later tried to withdraw her plea, claiming it was made under duress, but was denied.
In 2015, she also filed a lawsuit alleging slander and libel against Phoenix’s father, his stepmother Jessica Ikner, and other family members. The suit sought over $80,000 in damages for what she said was emotional and psychological harm to her son. It was dismissed seven months later.
She did not respond to media requests after the shooting but posted on Facebook that she had written to Phoenix’s father and received no reply. “To ask if everything is alright with my son, who studies at FSU,” she wrote.
Phoenix later changed his name from Christian Eriksen to Phoenix Ikner, a law enforcement source confirmed to CNN.
Officials React
Many officials have responded to the tragedy, with Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody stating that her office was in contact with Florida State University leadership in the aftermath of the shooting. “I am praying for the safety of the students, faculty and all first responders involved,” Moody wrote.
President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident and remarked from the Oval Office that it was “horrible that things like this take place.”
He later added: "The gun doesn't do the shooting, the people do. I have an obligation to protect the Second Amendment."
FBI Director Kash Patel was briefed on the situation, while FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino stated the bureau was actively responding at the scene. “The FBI is on the scene at FSU. I am en route back to DC from our LA office but we are getting updates on the situation on the plane. We will update you as we learn more,” Bongino posted on X.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addressed the situation on social media, writing, “Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that federal agents were on the ground at the university. “The [FBI] is on the scene at Florida State and we are in communication with agents on the ground. Our priority is the safety of everyone involved. We will keep updating as we learn more. Praying for all,” Bondi wrote.