Chaos Erupts on FSU Campus After Deadly Shooting
Florida State University’s Student Union—a spot usually filled with chatter, game nights, and coffee runs—turned into the scene of tragedy just before noon on April 17, 2025. At about 11:50 a.m., gunfire shattered the usual bustle. Within minutes, two adult men were dead, and six others wounded, one critically.
Witnesses describe confusion and terror. Students scrambled out of the lower-level bar area, abandoning belongings and ducking for cover. Ryan Cedergren, caught in the chaos, remembered frantic shouts and people bolting for the nearest doors. The sense of panic was real as word spread about shots fired on campus.
Swift Response and Unanswered Questions
Emergency services responded in force. Florida State University Police worked quickly with Tallahassee Police, Leon County Sheriff's Office, and state agencies to secure the sprawling campus and lock down the Student Union. Their coordinated effort prevented further bloodshed. The suspect, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, was taken into custody without incident, ending the immediate threat.
Ikner’s identity brought unexpected headlines—he’s both an FSU undergraduate and the son of a local sheriff’s deputy. According to officials, he used his mother’s old service weapon. The rapid investigation uncovered no clear motive so far. Authorities are combing through Ikner’s background, campus life, and digital footprint, searching for answers that might explain what drove him to violence.
The victims, two men not enrolled at FSU, haven’t had their names released. Hospital staff say the six injured victims are getting ongoing treatment, with one fighting for life. Their ages and connections to the university community are still unclear as families are being notified and privacy is respected.
FSU is reeling. Many students have called or texted loved ones, sharing stories about what they saw—or how close they came to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Staff reported breaking down in tears while sheltering in upstairs offices. The counseling center saw a flood of visitors after President Richard McCullough urged everyone touched by the morning’s violence to seek help and check on each other.
The campus shooting set off waves of heightened security across Tallahassee. Officers patrolled dorms and libraries, checked bags near entryways, and shared updates directly with students. Scheduled events have been postponed. FSU officials promise more communication as the facts come in, and support services remain available for the shaken community.
This tragedy thrusts the national debate on campus safety and firearm access back to the front page. Even on a campus usually defined by football rivalries and study groups, students and faculty now weigh their own sense of security against the grim reality of gun violence in public spaces.