2 Killed, 5 Injured in Florida State University Shooting

Two people were killed and five were injured in a shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee on Thursday.

The shooter, Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old student, began firing at people outside the campus’s Student Union around 11:50 a.m. Ikner was shot and arrested by police who had rushed to the campus.

He and the five injured victims are in the hospital being treated for their wounds. The two people he killed were not students.

Gun access: Ikner is the stepson of veteran Leon County police officer Jessica Ikner. Authorities say Ikner used one of his stepmother’s guns to carry out the attack.

Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said Jessica Ikner was an “exceptional” deputy officer, who had done a “tremendous job” on the force. “Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons and that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene,” he said.

Officers found three guns on campus, including a shotgun. The motive for the attack is still under investigation.

The son had been a “long-standing member” of the sheriff office’s youth advisory council and had participated in several training programs, according to Sheriff McNeil.

Mental disorder: The shooter’s father, Christopher Ikner, said his son “has developmental delays and special needs.” When he was 11 years old, his biological mother kidnapped him and took him to Norway, violating a custody agreement.

According to an affidavit, Ikner was “on medication for several health and mental issues, to include a growth hormone disorder and adhd.”

Firearm laws: After 17 people were killed in a school shooting in Parkland in 2018, Florida passed a law banning anyone under the age of 21 from buying long guns, such as shotguns and rifles. Federal law already prohibits those younger than 21 from buying a handgun.

Last month, Florida’s Senate Committee struck down a proposal to allow college students 18 years old and above to carry handguns on campuses for self-defense.

Solution: When shootings like this happen, many say it is because there are not enough restrictions on firearms. But shooters often find ways around gun laws to carry out their attacks. More gun laws won’t protect people from these attacks.

To learn how the problem can and will be solved, read “The Real Solution to Mass Shootings and Violence.”