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Man accused in Florida State shooting out of hospital and booked into jail on murder charges

Authorities say a man accused of fatally shooting two people and wounding six others during a shooting last month at Florida State University has been discharged from a Tallahassee hospital and charged with murder

Via AP news wire
Tuesday 13 May 2025 08:55 EDT

A man accused of fatally shooting two people and wounding six others during a shooting last month at Florida State University was discharged from a Tallahassee hospital on Monday and charged with murder, authorities said.

Phoenix Ikner, 20, was booked into the Leon County Detention Facility on two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder, the Leon County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. He was then transferred to a jail in neighboring Wakulla County, which is standard procedure when an inmate is related to a Leon County deputy.

Ikner, identified as the stepson of a sheriff’s deputy, arrived on campus April 17 and stayed near a parking garage before he walked in and out of buildings and green spaces while firing a handgun just before lunchtime, police said.

In roughly four minutes, officers confronted Ikner, a political science student at Florida State, and shot and wounded him, Tallahassee police said.

Police believe Ikner used a former service weapon that belongs to his stepmother, an 18-year veteran of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, officials said. In recent years, she has worked as a middle school resource officer and was the department’s employee of the month a year ago in March. After the shooting she requested and was granted personal leave and also reassigned from her post at the school.

Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the shooting.

Online jail and court records Monday didn't list an attorney for Ikner. Multiple attempts to reach his family after the shooting went unanswered.

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