• Florida State University murderer had a long history of expressing white supremacist and far-right views, making racist and inflammatory remarks in class.
• Despite concerns from classmates about his access to firearms, the weapon used in the attack belonged to his stepmother, a sheriff’s deputy.
The terrorist accused of carrying out a deadly shooting at Florida State University on Thursday—killing two and injuring six—had reportedly expressed white supremacist and far-right rhetoric for years, according to former classmates.
Phoenix Ikner, 20, was known among students for making inflammatory and deeply offensive remarks during classes, often pushing discussions to their limits. Several peers recalled heated exchanges with Ikner over his comments, including his repeated racist rhetoric, “I got into arguments with him in class over how gross the things he said were,” Lucas Luzietti, a political science student, told USA TODAY, describing Ikner as someone who “took things right up to the line.”
Ikner had previously bragged about having access to firearms at home. Authorities confirmed in a press briefing that the weapon used in the attack belonged to his mother—Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Ikner.
Students at FSU and Tallahassee State College, where Ikner had also studied, said he regularly espoused dangerous conspiracy theories and far-right talking extremist points.
Luzietti also recounted Ikner’s more overtly racist statements, including saying “Rosa Parks was in the wrong” and blaming Black residents for “ruining” his neighborhood. “I remember thinking this man should not have access to firearms,” he told USA TODAY. “But what are you supposed to do? His mother was a cop and Florida doesn’t have very strong red flag laws.”
Reid Seybold, a senior at FSU, met Ikner through a political discussion group at Tallahassee State College. He said Ikner was eventually banned from the group because of his extreme views. “Basically our only rule was no Nazis—colloquially speaking—and he espoused so much white supremacist rhetoric, and far-right rhetoric as well, to the point where we had to exercise that rule,” Seybold explained.
Riley Pusins, the club’s current president, added that Ikner was known for vocal support of Donald Trump’s agenda and frequently promoted white supremacist ideology, despite the non-partisan purpose of the group. Ikner reportedly remained active in the club until last semester, and fellow members had labelled him a fascist.
Additional details have since emerged about Ikner’s background. Born Christian Gunnar Eriksen, he was adopted and later changed his name after attending Lincoln High School at age 10. His stepmother is Deputy Jessica Ikner, while his biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, lost custody rights after violating court orders in 2015 by taking him to Norway without permission. She was arrested upon her return to the U.S. and sentenced to 200 days in jail, with a no-contact order enforced during that time.
An affidavit obtained by ABC News noted that Ikner had been prescribed medication for “several health and mental issues, to include a growth hormone disorder and ADHD.”
Though the investigation continues, those who knew him say the warning signs were clear. “It’s so sad and so shocking,” Luzietti said. “Then to see that it was him — I’m sadly not surprised.”
