A shooting on the campus of Florida State University on Thursday left two people dead and five others wounded, according to sources familiar with the investigation. A suspect has been taken into custody.
The alert went out shortly after midday near the university’s Student Union, where the school’s emergency system issued a warning about an active shooter on campus.
Five people were rushed to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare with serious injuries, a hospital spokesperson said.
The alleged shooter — identified as 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner — was also hospitalized after being shot by police. Authorities confirmed that Ikner is the son of a deputy with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and that one of the weapons recovered at the scene belonged to his mother.
The incident sparked panic across campus. Some students and visiting parents took shelter in a bowling alley, while others hid inside a service elevator at the student center after hearing gunfire. Hundreds fled the area, many in tears, eyes glued to their phones in search of updates.
Emergency crews quickly surrounded the campus, with police, fire units and ambulances converging on the scene. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that the Department of Justice was in contact with FBI agents who responded. President Donald Trump, speaking from the White House, called the shooting “a horrible thing.” He added that, “It’s terrible that tragedies like this keep happening.”
University officials instructed students and staff to shelter in place and await further instructions. All classes and campus events scheduled for Thursday were canceled, and athletic activities were suspended through Sunday. “Lock your doors and stay away from windows. Be prepared to take additional protective actions,” read the campus alert.
By shortly after 3 p.m., the lockdown was lifted. The area around the Student Union remained closed as part of an ongoing investigation, but the rest of the campus reopened to foot traffic.
Founded in 1851, Florida State University has more than 44,000 students and sits just minutes from the Florida Capitol in the rolling hills of Tallahassee.
It’s not the first time FSU has been shaken by gun violence. In 2014, a gunman opened fire outside the Strozier Library, wounding three people. The shooter, Myron May — a former FSU student and attorney — was shot and killed by police. One of the victims, Farhan “Ronny” Ahmed, was left paralyzed.
