FSU Shooting Suspect Phoenix Ikner Set for Court Debut After Surviving Gunshot, Faces Murder Charges

After spending weeks in a hospital recovering from multiple surgeries due to a gunshot wound to the face, Phoenix Ikner, the 20-year-old accused of a mass shooting at Florida State University, is expected to appear in court today. WFTV reported that Ikner, now facing two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder, was released from the medical facility yesterday.

The tragic events unfolded on April 17 at FSU's Student Union, where Ikner allegedly killed two individuals, Robert Morales, 57, and Tiru Chabba, 45, and injured six others. Despite not complying with law enforcement orders, the suspect was quickly engaged and neutralized by officers, who had shot him, FOX13 News reported.

Details surrounding the motives behind the shooting remain unclear, but court documents and classmate accounts have begun to provide a picture of the suspect's background. Ikner had been a political science major at FSU, transferred from Tallahassee State College, and served on a sheriff's advisory council. According to FOX13 News, Ikner had a history of medication for a growth hormone disorder and ADHD, and was known for expressing extremist political beliefs that made classmates uncomfortable.

Further complicating Ikner's past is a custody issue that arose when he was 11 years old, involving his biological mother taking him to Norway against a custody agreement. A slander lawsuit filed by Ikner's mother in August 2015 against his father and stepmother alleged, "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," as obtained by FOX13 News.

Ikner is currently detained in the Wakulla County Jail rather than Leon County due to a potential conflict of interest—his stepmother was an 18-year veteran deputy of the Leon County Sheriff's Office. The firearm used in the FSU shooting was identified as his stepmother’s former service weapon, as stated by WFTV. Ikner's first court appearance is scheduled at 11 a.m. today, where the court will begin addressing the charges against him.