Suspected FSU shooter identified as son of a Florida sheriff's deputy

BREAKING NEWS. THAT BREAKING NEWS FROM TALLAHASSEE. TWO PEOPLE DEAD, SIX OTHERS INJURED IN A MASS SHOOTING WHEN A GUNMAN OPENED FIRE ON THE CAMPUS IN TALLAHASSEE. INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFIED THE SUSPECTED GUNMAN AS PHOENIX EICHNER, A JUNIOR AT FLORIDA STATE AND THE SON OF A LEON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY. POLICE SAY THE GUN HE USED, THE HANDGUN HE USED TODAY WAS HER FORMER SERVICE REVOLVER. HER PERSONAL WEAPON. NOW EICHNER WAS SHOT BY POLICE. HE HAS SINCE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AND IS NOW IN CUSTODY. THE SHOOTING TOOK PLACE NEAR THE STUDENT UNION JUST BEFORE NOON. YOU CAN SEE STUDENTS WITH THEIR HANDS ABOVE THEIR HEADS AS THEY TRY TO LEAVE THE SCENE. THIS CAMPUS IS NOW SECURED, BUT CLASSES ARE CANCELED TOMORROW. LEON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WERE PLACED ON LOCKDOWN AS A PRECAUTION. THAT WAS ACCORDING TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT EARLIER TODAY. GOOD EVENING. I’M TIFFANY KENNEY TODD MCDERMOTT. THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE AT 5:00 TODAY. WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE FOR YOU AS THIS TRAGEDY UNFOLDS. ARI HAIT IS HEARING FROM STUDENTS ON CAMPUS WHERE THE SHOOTING HAPPENED. WE BEGIN WITH YASMINE JULMISSE, WHO’S WITH US WITH THE VERY LATEST YASMINE, TIFFANY. TODD. WE JUST HEARD FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ABOUT TEN MINUTES AGO. OFFICIALS CONFIRMING THE SHOOTER, 20 YEAR OLD PHOENIX EICHNER, WHO WAS STILL ALIVE, IS THE SON OF A LEON COUNTY DEPUTY, AS YOU SAID. THEY SAID THAT HE USED HIS MOTHER’S WEAPON IN THE SHOOTING, AND HE’S A SON OF A LEON COUNTY SHERIFF, DEPUTY. OUR DEPUTY DEPUTY. EICHNER HAS BEEN WITH THE LEON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR OVER 18 YEARS. SHE HAS A TREMENDOUS. JOB THAT SHE’S DONE. HER SERVICE TO THIS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONAL. UNFORTUNATELY, HER SON HAD ACCESS TO ONE OF HER WEAPONS. OFFICIALS ALSO SAID HE WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE LEON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, SO HE’S VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE DEPARTMENT. LAW ENFORCEMENT CONFIRMING THAT THE TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE SHOT AND KILLED WERE NOT STUDENTS, BUT THEY HAVE NOT CONFIRMED THEIR IDENTITIES. WE ARE CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THIS CLOSELY, CLOSELY, AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO GIVE YOU THE LATEST UPDATES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. RIGHT NOW. I’LL SEND IT BACK TO YOU. YASMINE JULMISSE. THANKS. YASMINE REACTION IS POURING IN FROM STUDENTS WHO ON CAMPUS WHEN THE SHOOTING BEGAN. OUR ARI HAIT JOINS US LIVE AS THOSE STUDENTS DETAIL THOSE TERRIFYING MOMENTS TODAY. ARI. YEAH, TERRIFYING IS THE EXACT WORD A LOT OF STUDENTS ARE USING TODAY. WHEN THOSE SHOTS FIRST STARTED HAPPENING, A LOT OF STUDENTS JUST RAN TO WHEREVER THEY COULD. SOME OTHERS WENT AND LOOKED FOR ANY PLACE THEY COULD HIDE, ANY SAFE PLACE TO HIDE, WHETHER IT BE A BATHROOM, A STAIRWELL, MAYBE AN ELEVATOR. THE STUDENTS SAY IT WAS JUST A NORMAL THURSDAY ON CAMPUS UNTIL THEY STARTED HEARING THOSE SHOTS. I JUST HEAR GUNSHOTS AND I DIDN’T. I WAS LIKE, OH, THAT’S WEIRD, BUT I DIDN’T REALIZE, LIKE, HOW CLOSE THEY WERE. AND I HEAR MORE. IT WAS LIKE FIVE GUNSHOTS IN A ROW AND EVERYBODY GOT UP, LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND JUST STARTED RUNNING. I JUST TRIED TO REMAIN CALM THE ENTIRE TIME. IT WAS KIND OF SURREAL WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I DIDN’T REALLY THINK I’D EVER BE IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS. YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS SEE THIS KIND OF STUFF ON THE NEWS AND YOU’D BE LIKE, HOW? HOW ARE THINGS LIKE THIS CONTINUE TO BE ALLOWED AND CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. BUT I NEVER THOUGHT I’D BE IN A CLASSROOM IN THE SAME KIND OF SCENARIO. ONCE THE SHOOTING WAS OVER, SCHOOL OFFICIALS SENT STUDENTS A CODE WORD, SOMETHING THEY SHOULD LISTEN FOR, SOMETHING THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WOULD SAY TO LET THE STUDENTS KNOW THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY LAW ENFORCEMENT TALKING TO THEM, AND THAT THEY WOULD. THAT WAY THEY WOULD KNOW IT WAS SAFE TO COME OUT. REPORTING LIVE ARI HAI

The son of a sheriff's deputy in Florida opened fire, killing two people and injuring six others, on the campus of Florida State University Thursday afternoon in Tallahassee, according to officials. Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil said Phoenix Ikner, 20, who is believed to be a student at the university, is the suspected shooter and is also the son of a Leon County deputy.The suspected shooter is accused of opening fire on Florida State University's campus near the student union. In a news conference Thursday afternoon, officials confirmed two people were killed, six others were injured, and the suspect was neutralized and taken to the hospital.The two victims who died have not been named, but Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell confirmed they were not students at the university.Revell said Ikner was shot by law enforcement officers after failing to comply with orders.Ikner had access to his mother's previously used department-issued weapon, and one of those firearms was found at the scene, McNeil said.Officials said the gun was the deputy's previously used department-issued firearm, which she later purchased after it was released with a newer model. Located in Florida's panhandle, Leon County is where the state capital of Tallahassee is located. _________Sister station WPBF contributed to this report.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —

The son of a sheriff's deputy in Florida opened fire, killing two people and injuring six others, on the campus of Florida State University Thursday afternoon in Tallahassee, according to officials.

Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil said Phoenix Ikner, 20, who is believed to be a student at the university, is the suspected shooter and is also the son of a Leon County deputy.

The suspected shooter is accused of opening fire on Florida State University's campus near the student union.

In a news conference Thursday afternoon, officials confirmed two people were killed, six others were injured, and the suspect was neutralized and taken to the hospital.

The two victims who died have not been named, but Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell confirmed they were not students at the university.

Revell said Ikner was shot by law enforcement officers after failing to comply with orders.

Ikner had access to his mother's previously used department-issued weapon, and one of those firearms was found at the scene, McNeil said.

Officials said the gun was the deputy's previously used department-issued firearm, which she later purchased after it was released with a newer model.

Located in Florida's panhandle, Leon County is where the state capital of Tallahassee is located.

_________

Sister station WPBF contributed to this report.

��vlog