FSU Shooting Leaves Two Dead, Six Injured; Students Demand Legislative Action

A mass shooting at Florida State University on April 17 left two people dead and six injured, prompting swift action from campus police who neutralized the suspect within minutes. The shooter, Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old student and stepson of a local sheriff’s deputy, used his stepmother’s retired police handgun and had additional firearms in his possession. The event deeply traumatized students, many of whom recounted hiding in classrooms and frantically contacting loved ones as the campus went into lockdown. In the aftermath, FSU students, some of whom have survived previous school shootings, marched to the state Capitol to demand lawmakers uphold existing gun safety laws and criticized legislative inaction on gun violence. The tragedy has reignited debate over Florida's gun laws, especially efforts to reverse the post-Parkland increase in the gun-buying age. The incident has reverberated across the state, with students and communities grappling with the recurring threat of gun violence on campuses.