The mother of the suspect in the Florida State University shooting incident reportedly abducted him in 2015, when he was just 11 years old, and took him to Norway against a custody agreement, as stated in court records from Leon County.
Phoenix Ikner, who is now 20 years old and a student at FSU, is accused of carrying out a shooting on campus, resulting in the death of two individuals and injuries to six others, five of whom were shot, while one was hurt while trying to escape the gunfire. The wounded individuals are currently receiving medical treatment for their injuries.
In March 2015, Anne-Mari Eriksen, Ikner’s biological mother, informed his father via email that she intended to take him to South Florida for spring break. However, according to an affidavit by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, she allegedly left the country with him, breaching their custody agreement.
The affidavit also states that Ikner — who was born Christian Gunnar Eriksen before he legally changed his name — has developmental delays and special needs. His father feared he would not receive proper care if taken outside the United States.
Law enforcement officers work at Florida State University’s campus after a mass shooting in Tallahassee, Florida, U.S., April 17, 2025. (Alicia Devine/USA Today Network via Imagn Images via Reuters)
“The emotional and psychological harm done to the minor child will be evident for years, and will require counseling, and given the child being the age of 11, will have memory impacted by the behaviors of all the defendants for the false claims done on his mother, and for the parental alienation of the close relationship of the minor child,” the complaint filed in Leon County states.
Eriksen requested $80,000 in damages for Ikner’s college fund, arguing that he was the victim of psychological and emotional abuse.
Eriksen could not immediately be reached for comment.
People evacuate Florida State University’s campus after a mass shooting in Tallahassee, Florida, U.S., April 17, 2025. (Alicia Devine/USA Today Network via Imagn Images via Reuters)
The 20-year-old shooting suspect was shot and wounded by responding officers Thursday afternoon after he refused to comply with commands, according to Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell.
Police confirmed that his mother is a sheriff’s deputy with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and that they believe Ikner shot the victims using his mother’s former service handgun, which she had kept for personal use after the force upgraded to new weapons.
Evacuees watch law enforcement work on Florida State University’s campus after a mass shooting in Tallahassee, Florida, U.S., April 17, 2025. (Alicia Devine/USA Today Network via Imagn Images via Reuters)
Jessica Ikner was a long-standing member of the sheriff’s office’s youth advisory council, Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said during a Thursday news conference.
University President Richard McCullough issued a statement on X Thursday, calling the shooting “a tragic and senseless act of violence.”
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
