After the deadly campus shooting rattled students, attention turned to the suspect’s deep ties to law enforcement — and how he accessed a deputy’s weapon.
A shooting at Florida State University (FSU) on Thursday, April 17, left two people dead and six others injured. According to the Miami Herald, the suspect, identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a student at the university, is the son of a Leon County Sheriff’s deputy and had longstanding ties to the agency.
The authorities revealed that Ikner was no stranger to law enforcement. Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil confirmed that he had been actively involved in the agency’s Youth Advisory Council and had participated in other law enforcement training programs.
“He has been steep in the Leon County Sheriff’s family, engaged in a number of training programs that we have … so it’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons,” said McNeil during a press conference.
His mother, Jessica Ikner, is a deputy assigned to protect a local public school and is well-known within the department. Authorities said the suspect used a handgun that once belonged to his mother. It was her former service weapon, which she had legally bought for personal use.
The violence unfolded shortly after noon near the university’s Student Union. Officers responded rapidly, shooting and detaining Ikner before transporting him to the hospital. He remains hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell.
Florida State University (FSU) students and faculty wait in a grassy area near the Student Union during the active shooter response on April 17, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
FSU Police Chief Jason Trumbower later confirmed that Ikner was also carrying a shotgun, although authorities do not believe it was used. “We have not confirmed anyone was shot with a shotgun, but that could change,” Trumbower stated.
Two adult men were killed in the attack. Five others were wounded by gunfire, and a sixth person was injured while trying to flee, police said. The victims’ names have not been released. Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare later confirmed that it had received six patients — one in critical condition and the remaining five in serious condition.
The attack played out in front of students nearby. Among them was McKenzie Heeter, who told CNN she had just left the Student Union when she noticed an orange Hummer parked along a service road. Standing beside the vehicle was a man holding what appeared to be a large firearm.
Police investigate the suspected shooter’s vehicle outside the Florida State University (FSU) Student Union following the April 17, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
Heeter said he fired a shot in her general direction, where others were also walking, then retrieved a handgun from the vehicle and turned toward the building.
“She was just walking. And he just turned around and shot her,” Heeter recalled, referring to a woman wearing purple scrubs who was struck in the back. Heeter ran nearly a mile to her apartment, describing 20 seconds of continuous gunfire as she fled.
McKenzie Heeter describes fleeing the scene after witnessing the FSU shooting on April 17, 2025 | Source: YouTube/CNN
She later said the shooter appeared calm and expressionless, though he wore a scowl. “I really just want to find out about the woman in the purple scrubs and if she is OK,” she said.
As chaos spread across campus, law enforcement moved swiftly to secure the scene. The campus was placed on lockdown as armed officers swept buildings and evacuated students with their hands raised — a precaution to ensure safety.
Videos captured by ABC journalist Forrest Saunders showed the disarray left behind. Laptops, shoes, backpacks, and half-eaten meals lay scattered across the lawn, left behind in the rush to escape.
Emergency responders provided medical aid at the scene, loading several victims into ambulances. In one video, a law enforcement officer is seen receiving a pair of handcuffs before securing them on a person lying on a stretcher inside an ambulance.
As the community began to process the shock, another video emerged on X that stirred additional outrage. The footage showed a person sipping Starbucks while walking past an injured individual on the ground, appearing to record the moment on a phone.
Though the identity of the individual remains unknown, the clip quickly spread and drew intense backlash across social media. “How do you walk by and not try to help?” wrote one person. Another added, “You spelled Americana wrong.” A third declared, “this [sic] heartless person needs to be outed and publicly shamed. #fsustarbucks #fsu.”
A X commenter remarked, “Sending love to FSU. Horrible situation. Just saw a video of some students walking past a wounded person while drinking their Starbucks, taking a video. Unreal how you can take a video of someone wounded and walk past rather than at least checking if they’re okay.”
Another stated, “There’s a 6-second video clip purportedly of a person with a Starbuck’s [sic] in hand walking past wounded on the campus of Florida State University. WHERE IS YOUR HUMANITY? These victims need comfort more than you need clicks.”
FSU students attend a vigil near the student center after the April 17 shooting | Source: Getty Images
However, not everyone agreed with the outrage. “The video posted is unrelated to the shooting today. As an alum I’m disgusted that people are using this tragedy to sew [sic] division in our country,” noted another person on X.
While discussion continued online, authorities continued working to piece together the events behind the shooting. As of Friday, they have not determined a motive for the attack. The investigation remains active.
Law enforcement officers secure the scene near the Florida State University Student Union on April 17, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
Just two days earlier, another school shooting took place — this time at a high school in Dallas.
The shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School (WHHS) in Dallas on Tuesday afternoon, April 15, left four people hospitalized. Police responded shortly after 1 p.m. to reports of gunfire at the campus on Langdon Road.
Police and emergency vehicles respond to Wilmer-Hutchins High School following reports of a shooting. | Source: YouTube/CBS News Texas
According to CBS News Texas, authorities confirmed by 2:20 p.m. that the school was secure and there was no ongoing threat.
The Dallas Fire Department said three of the four victims were shot, with injuries considered non-life-threatening. Three of the victims are also between 15 and 18 years old; the fourth person’s age is unconfirmed.
All were taken to nearby hospitals, including Baylor Scott & White Health, Parkland, and Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
At the time of the shooting, law enforcement sources reportedly said that the suspect, identified as a student, remained at large. Additionally, authorities had not released further identifying details. However, new details about the suspect have since emerged.
The suspect has recently been identified as 17-year-old Tracy Denard Haynes Jr. According to reports, Haynes Jr. surrendered to authorities at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center around 9 p.m. on Tuesday evening (April 15). He is now in custody at the Dallas County Jail and faces four charges of aggravated assault in a mass shooting, which is a first-degree felony.