School shootings have become extremely normalized in our communities today. We often see alerts of these incidents on the news and awareness raised on social media. 

On April 17, 2025, a shooting occurred on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee by one of its own students. Two were killed and six were injured. The two killed were not students. The shooter’s name was revealed to be Phoenix Ikner, who was the stepson of a local sheriff’s deputy from Leon County. Ikner’s family was involved in numerous training programs according to CNN, which may have been how he gained access to the weapons.

CNN reveals that 20-year-old Ikner had a troubled childhood. He struggled with his family and personal life, and his classmates said that he had extreme political views.

After the incident, he was shot by police and is currently recovering in the hospital. Once released, he will be tried in court for offenses up to first degree murder. 

There have been firsthand accounts from students about the incident. McKenzie Heeter, a third-year student at FSU, told NBC News, “I think he was shooting and he missed. So he goes back into his car and grabs a pistol, then he turns and shoots the lady in front of him.” Heeter was one of the first to notice, so she quickly ran to tell everybody to stay away from the campus. The shooting took place inside the university’s student union, which was blocked off until the area was secured. This has caused numerous concerns of safety for college students, not only in Florida but across the country. 

President Trump responded to this incident calling the shooting a “shame.” In his remarks, as reported by CBS News  he said, “These things are terrible. But the gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do.”

Although there is no guarantee of safety anywhere, educating students about gun safety in schools is becoming increasingly important in today’s world.