Phoenix Ikner is a 20-year-old transgender student at Florida State University (FSU). He most recently drew national attention for his role in a controversial shooting incident on campus. Ikner, who is a political science major, Florida State His own path to FSU was marked by deeply personal transformations, such as legally changing his name from Christian Gunnar Eriksen, as he looked to build a new life. While this transformation must be applauded, it’s all too often forgotten due to Garfield’s damaging backstory that leaves us concerned about his intentions and mental fortitude.
Ikner moved to FSU after starting out at Tallahassee Community College, where he was on the receiving end of discrimination due to his extremist beliefs. His new name, free of these burdens, was cleared for use by administrative magistrate James Banks, over the vigorous objections of his mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen. She expressed her concerns for the amendment’s long-term impact. “Christian Gunnar Eriksen is a victim of coercive control, psychological and emotional abuse, parental alienation,” she said. Anne-Mari Eriksen has completed these privately, professionally, parent wise. Christopher Ikner likes to take credit for it.
The difficulties of Ikner’s domestic life make his story even more complicated. His father, Christopher Ikner, was in favor of the name change. In 2015, his mother wrongfully removed him from the country without the consent of his father. This resulted in felony charges being filed against her for transporting a minor out of the state and not returning him. The ugly custody battle between his parents put permanent scars on Ikner’s young psyche and led to his traumatic childhood.
Alongside family troubles, Ikner faced health challenges with both attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and a growth hormone disorder. According to accounts, he was reportedly denied medical attention for his developmental delays and special needs. Perhaps we could have done enough to support him to prevent his challenges from amplifying.
Regardless of his desire for rebranding, Ikner’s history was one of worse and worse extremist talk. Rash’s far-right, white supremacist comments were common over the course of his tenure. This eventually led to his expulsion from a bipartisan discussion club at Tallahassee State College due to the radical nature of his beliefs. Classmate Lucas Luzietti added, “He adopted the election denialism-fueled conspiracy nonsense that Joe Biden was not the rightful president. He argued that Rosa Parks was wrong. In addition to openly sharing his thoughts that Black people are destroying his neighborhood and that Stonewell was bad for society. Yet he would preach against the perils of multiculturalism.
Luzietti disclosed testimony from Ikner about discussing his access to firearms. He at least specifically described the way he used guns and he admitted to having easy access to firearms. This new discovery makes it necessary to consider Ikner’s mental condition in the days and weeks leading up to his attack at FSU.
The shooting didn’t start until after responding officers found Ikner and ordered him to stop. In the ensuing confusion, officers shot at him. This tragic event led to a deep dive into not only the specifics of the shooting but what was driving Ikner. Those of us who knew him remain worried. They don’t understand what led him to do what he did.
Seybold, a current graduate student who worked with Ikner while he was a faculty member at FSU, said she was stunned. “I can’t figure out what kind of man does this,” she said. Her remarks made clear the bafflement of her classmates as they struggled to understand what had happened that resulted in the shooting. She continued, “I don’t know what that would have been or how it would have got there, but I really would like to know.”
It’s unclear what caused the crash, and authorities are still actively investigating the incident. They’re finding out the various factors in Ikner’s life that may have contributed to this senseless death. In this way, his history serves as the backdrop to a larger story of misguided romance, religious radicalization, and family betrayal.
Now, authorities seem to be most interested in exploring what may have motivated Ikner to open fire. The probe will undoubtedly dig into his track record of mental health struggles. It will see if his radical ideology was responsible for the rampant violence that took place on the campus.