FSU shooting: Sheriff’s office speaks on suspect’s past, deputy stepmother

The lawman stepmother of suspected Florida State University shooting fishy Phoenix Ikner has "opted to instrumentality idiosyncratic leave" to "process this tragic situation," the Leon County Sheriff’s Office revealed to Fox News Digital connected Friday. 

Ikner, 20, is the stepson of Leon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jessica Ikner, who has done a "tremendous job" with the bureau implicit the past 18 years, according to Shonda Knight, its Executive Director of Community and Media Relations. 

"This is simply a unsmooth clip for the Leon County Sheriff's Office, our full community, and, of course, the victims and their families," Knight told Fox News Digital. "As it relates to Deputy Ikner, she has opted to instrumentality idiosyncratic leave. And she is not successful office, of course, arsenic a effect of that. And we bash not person a instrumentality day arsenic of this point. She's taking immoderate clip to evidently process this tragic situation." 

The shooting that unfolded connected Florida State University’s field Thursday near 2 dormant and six injured. Hospital officials announced Friday day that the victims suffered gunshot wounds to areas specified arsenic the thorax and abdomen and immoderate had to acquisition surgery, including facial surgery. However, they are successful unchangeable information and are expected to marque a afloat recovery. 

FSU SHOOTING SUSPECT’S CHILDHOOD INCLUDED ALLEGED FAMILY KIDNAPPING ABROAD, CUSTODY FIGHT, DOCUMENTS SAY 

Phoenix Ikner, 20, opened occurrence astatine Florida State University successful Tallahassee connected Thursday, constabulary said. (Phoenix Ikner/Instagram)

On Thursday, Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil said Phoenix Ikner "had access" to 1 of his stepmother’s weapons and "that was 1 of the weapons that was recovered astatine the scene." 

"Phoenix Ikner's authoritative engagement with the Leon County Sheriff's Office was arsenic a subordinate of our Youth Advisory Council, which is simply a assembly made up of younker passim the assemblage successful Leon County," Knight told Fox News Digital. "It was an accidental for younker successful our assemblage to beryllium capable to explicit immoderate concerns they had astir transgression prevention and information and immoderate of our initiatives, and for america to beryllium to person an unfastened dialog with younker successful our community. That was the grade of his authoritative engagement with the Leon County Sheriff's Office." 

"As being a lad of a subordinate of instrumentality enforcement, his household exposed him to information arsenic it relates to utilizing firearms," Knight besides said. 

VIDEO SHOWS FSU STUDENTS HIDING UNDER DESK DURING SHOOTING: ‘I’M SCARED’ 

Leon County Sheriff's Office Deputy Jessica Ikner receives the Law Enforcement Employee of the Month grant successful March 2024. (Leon County Sheriff's Office)

In March 2024, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office recognized Deputy Ikner arsenic its Law Enforcement Employee of the Month. Knight said she "worked successful assorted units, including our azygous patrol, our bailiff portion and schoolhouse resource." 

Knight besides told Fox News Digital that the Sheriff’s Office is cooperating with the transgression probe into the shooting, which is being led by the Tallahassee Police Department. 

"Our thoughts and prayers are with each of the victims of this horrific incident. We are, of course, a subordinate of the instrumentality enforcement community. And we are grateful for each of our instrumentality enforcement partners who person practiced for days similar yesterday, but ever prayed that we ne'er had to really endure it," she said. 

Dozens of patrol vehicles, including a forensics van, are shown stationed extracurricular of Florida State University’s pupil national gathering pursuing Thursday's shooting. (AP/Kate Payne)

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"But our law-enforcement members responded swiftly, and lives were saved due to the fact that of that," Knight added. "So we are grateful for each the partners who participated successful ensuring the information of our community. And we conscionable inquire for continuous thoughts and prayers arsenic we each process the events of yesterday."