Alleged Florida State University Shooter’s Booking Photo Reveals Curious Detail As Authorities Announce Charges

The Florida State University (FSU) student charged with fatally shooting two people and injuring several others on the Tallahassee campus April wore a distinctive face in his booking photo as law enforcement announced charges Monday.

One side of the face of Phoenix Ikner, 20, appeared to bulge, the photo — released by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) — shows. A Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) officer told the Daily Caller that Ikner had sustained a single gunshot wound to the jaw from the responding police during the April 17 campus shooting he allegedly committed.

Ikner was discharged from an area hospital Monday after a prolonged hospitalization and several surgeries to treat his injuries, after which he was taken to a detention facility, the TPD said.

The LCSO said authorities transferred Ikner from the Leon County Detention Facility to the Wakulla County Detention Facility “due to him being the stepson of a Leon County Sheriff’s Office deputy.” Ikner allegedly used a firearm assigned to his stepmother Jessica Ikner, an LCSO school-resource officer, in the shooting, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

Ikner faces two counts of first-degree homicide and seven counts of attempted first-degree homicide, according to a probable cause statement by the TPD. He made his first court appearance Tuesday, FOX 35 Orlando reported.

FSU police heard gunshots as they responded to the active shooting incident close to midday April 17, according to the TPD. Additional police responded to the incident.

The FSU officers allegedly saw a male in a “shooting stance” outside the university’s Student Union building who promptly fled. One of the officers then shot the suspect, who later identified himself as Phoenix Ikner, according to the probable cause statement. The TPD said officers reviewed footage and spoke to witnesses after the incident.

Ikner allegedly first aimed a shotgun at a potential victim but the gun either failed to fire or was unloaded. He then fetched a handgun from a Hummer registered in his father’s name and shot at another person, according to the statement.

He then allegedly fired thrice at another victim, striking them, according to police. The alleged shooter then broke into a run. Police said they saw a video of the shooting.

Police alleged that Ikner also chased and shot another person before fatally shooting the fallen victim again when they were on the ground and running in the direction of the food court. There, he fatally shot another victim in the back, the statement alleged. He chased another through the food court and shot at her as she fled, but she was unhurt, according to police.

He allegedly shot three others while running towards the entrance of the university’s bookstore. (RELATED: ‘It Was Just Anybody He Could See’: FSU Student Describes Terrifying Moment She Noticed School Shooter)

Footage captured Ikner’s fall after he was struck by police gunfire, according to the statement. Robert Morales, 57, an FSU dining coordinator and former restauranteur, and Tiru Chabba, 45, a staff member of FSU vendor Aramark, were killed in the shooting, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

Officers recovered a handgun in Ikner’s vicinity after he fell and later spotted a shotgun inside the Hummer, according to the probable cause statement.

Law enforcement officials said Ikner, an avid gamer who uploaded gaming videos on his YouTube channel, streamed a lengthy video on the “great replacement theory,” according to the Tallahassee Democrat. Students who knew him alleged that he had revealed racist, sexist and Neo-Nazi views while attending a club. Police said the alleged shooter appears to have targeted people randomly.

A few months before the shooting he has been accused of committing, Ikner remarked on anti-Trump protests in the run-up to President Donald Trump’s inauguration in an interview with the FSUNews. He was a registered Republican, the outlet reported while publishing a transcript of their interview with the alleged shooter.

“In any case, especially one of this magnitude, the Tallahassee Police Department has the highest commitment to justice, transparency and the safety of our community,” said TPD Chief of Police Lawrence Revell. “We are grateful for the work of our detectives, officers, medical personnel and partner agencies who helped bring us to this point.