The stepson of a Florida sheriff’s deputy, who was accused of carrying out a shooting at Florida State University, resulting in the death of two individuals and injuring six others, has been discharged from the hospital. He now faces multiple charges of murder and attempted murder.
Phoenix Ikner, 20, was hospitalized after Tallahassee Police shot him on the scene of the April 17 mass shooting, WFTV reported.
Initially, he was arrested on two counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder and was held at the Leon County Detention Facility. However, due to his stepmother’s affiliation with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, he was later transferred to the Wakulla County Detention Facility.
According to Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil, the accused individual was previously involved with the sheriff’s office’s Youth Advisory Council. It was also reported that the firearm utilized in the incident belonged to his stepmother, who had acquired it from the department.
“This event is tragic in more ways than you people in the audience could ever fathom from a law enforcement perspective,” McNeil said. “But I will tell you this, we will make sure that we do everything we can to prosecute and make sure that we send a message to folks that this will never be tolerated here in Leon County, and I dare say, across this state and across this nation.”
According to WOFL, responding police officers shot Ikner when he refused to comply with their commands, roughly five minutes after the shooting started. Police have not revealed a motive for the shooting, but more information will likely be available when a probably cause affidavit is released upon his initial court appearance.
The two people killed in the shooting — 45-year-old Tiru Chabba and 57-year-old Robert Morales — were employees of campus vendors and not students.
