The stepson of a Florida sheriff’s deputy, who was accused of shooting at Florida State University last month, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to six others, has been released from the hospital and faces several charges, including multiple counts 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 held at the Leon County Detention Facility, facing charges of two counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder. Due to his stepmother being a deputy at the Leon County Sheriff’s office, he was relocated to the Wakulla County Detention Facility.
Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil disclosed that at the time, Ikner was involved with the sheriff’s office’s Youth Advisory Council, and the firearm used in the incident was his stepmother’s service weapon, which she had previously purchased from her department, according to a report by CrimeOnline.
“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.
