The headlines were everywhere last April, and honestly, they were pretty gut-wrenching. When a shooting broke out at the Florida State University Student Union, the community didn't just grapple with the violence—they grappled with a name. Leon County Deputy Jessica Ikner, a veteran officer with nearly two decades of service, suddenly found her professional life and her private nightmare colliding in the most public way possible.
Her stepson, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, was identified as the shooter.
It’s the kind of story that stops you cold. You’ve got a deputy who was named Employee of the Month just a year prior, a woman who spent her days as a school resource officer protecting kids, and then the news drops: the weapon used in the attack belonged to her. It wasn't just any gun, either. It was a former service weapon.
The Weapon: How it Got There
There's been a lot of confusion about how a civilian—even a family member—ends up with a police officer's gun. Basically, when the Leon County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) upgraded their equipment, they gave deputies the option to purchase their old service weapons.
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Jessica Ikner did exactly that. It became her personal property.
Sheriff Walt McNeil was pretty blunt during the press conferences. He confirmed that Phoenix had "access" to the weapon. While we don’t know if it was in a safe or a drawer, the result was a tragedy that killed two people—Tiru Chabba and Robert Morales—and injured several others.
A Career Interrupted
You can't really overstate how respected Jessica Ikner was before this happened. She’d been with the department for over 18 years. She worked patrol. She worked as a bailiff. Most recently, she was at RAA Middle School as a School Resource Deputy.
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People liked her. The department praised her.
But after the April 17, 2025 shooting, she vanished from the public eye. She took personal leave immediately to "process the tragic situation," according to the LCSO. Can you blame her? Your kid—or stepson, in this case—uses your own gun to commit a mass shooting on a campus where he was a student. That’s a level of heavy most people can’t even fathom.
The Family Dynamics Nobody Talks About
If you dig into the court records, the "perfect deputy" image starts to get a lot more complicated. This wasn't a "sudden" snap. Phoenix Ikner, formerly known as Christian Gunnar Eriksen, had a childhood that reads like a thriller novel—and not a good one.
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- The Kidnapping: Back in 2015, his biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, actually fled with him to Norway, violating custody agreements. She was eventually arrested at the Fort Lauderdale airport.
- The Lawsuit: His biological mother later sued Jessica Ikner and the boy's father. She claimed Jessica used "corporal punishment" and that the boy was suffering from "parental alienation."
- Mental Health: Records show Phoenix was diagnosed with ADHD and growth hormone issues early on. His biological mother claimed the "vicious litigation" in family court caused him permanent psychological harm.
It’s a mess. Honestly, it’s a classic case of the "red flags" being visible only after the fact. Phoenix was even part of the LCSO Youth Advisory Council. He was "steeped" in the law enforcement culture, as the Sheriff put it. He knew guns because he grew up around them.
Where Does the Case Stand Now?
Phoenix Ikner isn't in a Leon County jail. They moved him to Wakulla County. Why? Because having the stepson of a prominent local deputy in the main jail is a massive conflict of interest. He’s facing two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder.
The Tallahassee Police Department is leading the criminal side, while the Sheriff’s Office has had to deal with the internal fallout of one of their own being so closely tied to a massacre.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for Gun Owners
This isn't just a "sad story." It's a massive wake-up call for anyone in law enforcement or civilian life who keeps firearms at home.
- Secure your "retired" weapons: Just because it’s no longer your daily carry doesn't mean it’s a toy. Biometric safes are basically mandatory if you have adult children or roommates with mental health histories.
- Audit your "Access": The word "access" is what the Sheriff kept using. If someone in your house knows where the key is, they have access.
- Separation of Duty: Jessica Ikner’s career is effectively in limbo. If you work in a high-stakes field like law enforcement, your home life security is a professional requirement, not just a personal choice.
The community is still healing. FSU students are still pushing for better locks on classroom doors and higher age limits for gun purchases. Meanwhile, a veteran deputy is left wondering how the boy she helped raise—using the tool she used for her job—changed the city of Tallahassee forever.