‘Our community’s worst nightmare’: Florida State University shooting suspect indicted on murder charges
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray News) - The man accused of killing two people during a shooting on the campus of Florida State University has been indicted on multiple murder charges.
GRAPHIC WARNING: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence. Reader discretion is advised.
Phoenix Ikner, 20, was indicted on two first-degree murder charges and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm. He is accused of opening fire near the FSU Student Union last month, fatally shooting two people and injuring seven others.
He was indicted one day after he appeared in court for the first time. If convicted, Ikner could face life in prison or the death penalty.
WCTV obtained the five-page indictment Monday afternoon. Later that day, the state attorney released a so-called “true bill” presentment produced by the grand jury. The papers offer insight into what evidence the grand jury reviewed Wednesday and explanations for their decision to indict Ikner.
It’s the most detailed of the events of April 17 so far.
“This was our community’s worst nightmare. We are proud to host students of all ages and now the horror of a school shooting has fallen upon us. While the results are tragic, it could have been so much worse,” said the grand jury’s conclusions as listed in the true bill.
Among the most significant new details in the document are revelations about Ikner’s alleged actions. The document says that Ikner carried two firearms during the rampage, which were both allegedly stolen from his parents.
“One was a 12-gauge shotgun that, blessedly, failed to properly operate. He stole this from his parents’ home,” the jury wrote. “His other weapon was a .45 pistol that he stole from his father’s bedside.”
The group concluded that Ikner acted alone and that his targets were allegedly selected at random. They also believed that there were no warning signs.
“The victims were totally random. He shot men and women of various ages, races, and lifestyles. All evidence suggests he merely wanted to kill as many people as possible, not that he was targeting any person or group. The only consistent trait of each victim was their innocence,” the jury stated.
The 20-year-old had “no history of mental health or behavioral referrals indicating him as a threat” at Leon County Schools or Tallahassee State College. A “review of his one semester at Florida State University” led to the same conclusion.
The grand jury was candid in sharing their conclusions, saying in part, “While we recognize that we may never fully understand why they were killed, we do wish to present some preliminary findings based on the evidence already discovered.
As part of their work, the grand jury reviewed the following:
- “Testimony from Leon County Sheriff Lieutenant Wiley Meggs, an expert on law enforcement’s use of force training and protocols”
- Testimony from Cameron Collins, the “criminal investigator of the underlying murders and attempted murders”
- “Most importantly, we reviewed the surveillance video of the Florida State campus during this criminal episode.”
“This, accompanied by the body camera recordings of the responding officers, allowed a clear understanding of Ikner and the officers’ actions,” the jury wrote.
Additionally, the document reveals that as part of the jury’s convention, they reviewed the use of force by FSU Police Officer Cody Poppell, identified in the document as the officer who shot Ikner.
The jury said that Poppell was driving on his motorcycle when he heard gunfire and immediately changed route to barrel toward the sounds, rushing past “panicked students running past Strozier Library” and driving on sidewalks to make it to “the space between Moore Auditorium and the Student Union.”
There, he could “clearly see the gunman chasing and shooting at another potential victim.”
“He stopped and shot several times while still straddling his running motorcycle. He struck him once in the face. There is no question others would have died absent his actions,” the jury stated.
The grand jury said that not only was Poppell’s use of force justified, it was “heroic.”
“Miraculously, the shooting was stopped three minutes and three seconds after the first round was fired. We thank the men and women of law enforcement who once again ran into danger so that others could be safe,” the true bill said. “However, we also mourn those who were lost.”
The new details come as part of a rapid series of updates in Ikner’s case.
Prosecutors wasted no time charging the FSU student after his Monday release from the hospital. He was hospitalized for several weeks after being shot in the jaw by law enforcement as they responded to the campus shooting.
Ikner is expected in court for an arraignment hearing on Wednesday, June 11, according to court records.
State Attorney Jack Campbell said in an interview with WCTV that he plans to seek the death penalty for the suspected Florida State University campus shooter.
Copyright 2025 WCTV via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
