A mass shooting at Florida State University (FSU) on Thursday shook the Tallahassee campus, leaving two people dead and six others injured, law enforcement officials confirmed. The alleged shooter, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, is an FSU student and the son of a Leon County sheriff’s deputy, according to authorities.

The attack unfolded just outside the student union around lunchtime, prompting chaos and lockdowns across the campus. The gun used in the attack was a handgun belonging to Ikner’s mother, who has served with the sheriff’s office for over 18 years, said Sheriff Walt McNeil during a press conference.

Shooter Tied to Law Enforcement Community

Ikner had reportedly been involved in various law enforcement training programs through the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, which McNeil called “tragic in more ways than people can imagine.”

“This event is tragic in more ways than you people in the audience could ever imagine, from a law enforcement perspective,” McNeil said.

Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive, and none of the victims were FSU students or law enforcement officers, police said. Ikner was taken into custody and is currently being treated at a local hospital.

Campus Chaos and Emergency Response

The shooting caused widespread panic across FSU’s campus of more than 42,000 students. Emergency alerts warned students and faculty to shelter in place, as SWAT teams and multiple law enforcement agencies rushed to secure the area. The student union and surrounding buildings remained an active crime scene into the afternoon.

Videos posted to social media showed students being evacuated by officers, many with their hands above their heads. Others barricaded themselves in rooms or hid in places like the bowling alley beneath the student union or inside a freight elevator.

“In that moment, it was survival,” said 21-year-old student Ryan Cedergren, who took cover in the bowling alley with about 30 others.

The Tallahassee Memorial Hospital confirmed it was treating six victims, including one in critical condition.

National Reactions

The tragedy prompted an outpouring of support and renewed calls for action on gun violence. Governor Ron DeSantis issued a statement on X, saying, “Our prayers are with our FSU family.”

President Donald Trump, in a White House meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, also addressed the shooting:

“It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place.”

Fred Guttenberg, father of Parkland shooting victim Jaime Guttenberg, expressed heartbreak in a post on X:

“America is broken… Sadly, because of the many people who refuse to do the right things about reducing gun violence, I am not surprised by what happened today.”

Guttenberg also noted that many of his daughter’s friends, survivors of the 2018 Parkland massacre, now attend FSU.

Ongoing Investigation

The FSU campus was secured by midafternoon, but law enforcement continues to investigate the shooting. The Department of Justice and FBI agents are assisting, and federal authorities remain in contact with state officials.

Students and faculty were instructed to remain alert, as the university resumed normal operations later in the day. The Leon County School District also lifted a temporary lockout across its schools.

Ikner’s condition and the potential charges he faces have not been publicly disclosed as of now. Authorities continue to investigate what led to this devastating act of violence at one of Florida’s largest universities.