A horrific shooting unfolded at Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus when 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, the son of a sheriff’s deputy, opened fire using a handgun stolen from his own mother. The rampage left two people dead and six others hospitalized with serious injuries. Authorities confirmed the weapon belonged to Deputy Jessica Ikner of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and was previously used for official duty.

In a haunting social media post uncovered after the attack, Ikner quoted a biblical passage about shattering nations and destroying kingdoms—foreshadowing the violence he was about to unleash. Described as a political science major with a history of mocking student protests, Ikner was also involved in youth programs run by the very sheriff’s department now investigating him. As panic erupted across campus, with students diving under desks and sprinting for cover, the terrifying events were caught on camera and spread rapidly across social media—
but what law enforcement uncovered next took the investigation to another level.