A shocking incident unfolded at Florida State University (FSU) when a 20-year-old student, Phoenix Ikner, opened fire outside the student union on a busy afternoon. That’s when things went from zero to a hundred real quick, causing widespread fear and hysteria among students and campus workers. Witnesses said it was a scenario of pure chaos as panic set in with the sound of gunfire echoing through the venue.
Ikner, who officials said was a student at FSU, used a handgun owned by his stepmother. She is retired law enforcement. The weapon was acquired specifically for use in that sort of attack. Investigators are still looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident, namely how exactly Ikner was able to get her hands on the loaded firearm.
Eyewitnesses shared their stories from the terrifying day below. Madison Askins, a student sheltering in place during the shooting, described feeling like she was losing her mind and scared for her life. “I was about to really spiral out,” she said on those hasty, disordered seconds after the shots rang out. Askins vividly remembered hearing Ikner yell, “Yeah, keep running,” as that semiautomatic weapon discharged.
A second witness, Sage Toussaint, was only 15 feet from Ikner when officers started shooting. “I didn’t believe it for real,” he said. He continued that initially, he thought the attack was just a scene from a show. “So I assumed it would be like a flash mob or a student production or whatever,” Toussaint said. As events deteriorated, he couldn’t escape hearing the screams and cries of those with him. Understanding the severity of what was taking place, he turned tail and ran for his life.
Thanks to fast and effective response from law enforcement, no one else was injured. In that moment, the shock of the occurrence was still palpable. FSU President Richard McCullough addressed the violence, calling it an “unacceptable act of violence, an act of violence that’s in no way justified.” His comments highlighted the depth of the university’s fervor for keeping their campus community safe.
Investigators are still working to put together the details of this catastrophic incident. At the same time, discussions around students’ access to firearms and preventative mental health care are emerging. Askins noted Ikner’s age and the level of responsibility he bears, given the tragedy. Nope, he’s actually a legal adult, being 20 years of age. I hope that he takes this with him for the rest of his life,” she said.
The incident has sparked discussions about safety protocols on college campuses and the need for preventive measures to avoid such tragedies in the future. Their community still struggles with the aftermath of this horrible tragedy. They are looking beyond old notions of safety and understanding that we need support systems, not security systems in our schools.