April 18th 2025.
New information has been revealed about Phoenix Ikner, the Florida State University student accused of committing a mass shooting on campus on April 17. It has been discovered that Ikner is the son of a local sheriff's deputy and has a history of training with law enforcement. He has also served on the sheriff's advisory council for several years leading up to the attack.
These connections came to light when Ikner was arrested by FSU police after being shot. At the time of his arrest, the 20-year-old was found to be in possession of his stepmother, Sheriff Deputy Jessica Ikner's service weapon. Police records also indicate that Ikner had a difficult childhood.
Sheriff Walter McNeil spoke to reporters at the scene, stating that Ikner was deeply involved with the Leon County Sheriff's Office and had participated in various training programs. He also mentioned that it was not surprising for Ikner to have access to weapons due to his connections with law enforcement.
Jessica Ikner, Phoenix's stepmother, has been a dedicated member of the sheriff's department for over 18 years. Sheriff McNeil praised her exceptional service to the community. Ikner himself has been a longstanding member of the sheriff's Youth Advisory Council, which aims to bridge the gap between young people and law enforcement.
More details about Ikner's personal life have also emerged, including his Instagram account which features a biblical quote in the tagline. It reads, "You are my war club, my weapon for battle; with you, I shatter nations, with you, I destroy kingdoms." The Florida state voter registration records show that Ikner is a registered Republican and has previously spoken about anti-Trump protests in the FSU student newspaper.
Ikner, who is majoring in political science, shared his thoughts on the protests, stating that they were usually "entertaining" for the wrong reasons. He also expressed that it was too late to do anything about Trump's inauguration unless there was an outright revolt, which he believed no one wanted.
According to fellow FSU student Reid Seybold, Ikner was asked to leave an extracurricular political club due to his behavior and comments. Seybold explained that Ikner's views went beyond conservatism and included negative opinions about multiculturalism and communism.
Despite some individuals pointing out warning signs in Ikner's behavior, others in the FSU community struggle to comprehend how someone with such close ties to law enforcement could commit such a heinous act. Kenniyah Houston, a member of the sheriff's youth council, expressed shock and devastation upon learning that the suspected shooter was part of the same organization as her. She described the advisory council as being focused on improving the community through better law enforcement.
Ikner is currently in the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries after being shot by university police. It has been reported that he did not comply with their commands.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
