Washington According to law police during a press conference, an active shooter opened fire on the Florida State University (FSU) campus in Tallahassee on Thursday, killing two people and wounding six more.

The accused gunman and the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital.

After police shot the suspect, he reportedly asserted his right to remain silent and was brought into jail, according to authorities.

At the conference, Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil said that the suspected shooter was 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a student at FSU and the son of a Leon County deputy sheriff.

The suspect used his mother’s personal firearm, which was discovered at the scene and is now in her possession, according to investigators. They say he had a shotgun as well.

According to the sheriff, the deputy sheriff has worked with the department for over eighteen years and has provided outstanding community service.

Sheriff McNeil said, “Unfortunately her son had access to one of her weapons.”

He said that the suspected gunman participated in many of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office’s training programs and had been a long-time member of the youth advisory or citizen advisory council.

“Been steeped in the Leon County Sheriff Office’s family,” the sheriff stated of him.

The two victims of the incident, according to the police, were not students. The identities of the victims are still under wraps.

Although many law enforcement agencies are still on the scene for the continuing investigation, Tallahassee police said at around 3:15 p.m. ET that the campus has been secured.

“Law enforcement has neutralised the threat,” FSU said on Twitter.

The student union and a number of other campus facilities should be avoided “because they are still considered an active crime scene,” according to the university.

Around 12:01 p.m., police were called to the scene of an active shooter incident near the student union, according to FSU.

According to police, the gunman started shooting at around 11:50 a.m.

Those on campus were advised to “seek shelter and await further instructions” by the school’s notice.

Students were also advised by the institution to lock all doors and windows and to avoid them.

Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, said on Twitter, “Our prayers are with our FSU family.”

According to the FBI and ATF, agents were there to support local law enforcement.

US President Donald Trump was informed on the incident, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and he made a few quick comments about it at midday on Thursday.

It’s unfortunate. It is an awful thing. It’s a terrible thing. This kind of thing happens. And we’ll talk about it further later,” Trump said.

The President said, “Well, I’m going to have to look,” when asked later whether he would examine gun restrictions in light of the incident. I strongly support the Second Amendment. These things are awful. However, it is the individuals that carry out the shooting, not the gun.

Sports activities were postponed until Sunday, according to the institution, while courses and all other events were cancelled through Friday.

There have been shootings at the school before, including Thursday’s event.

In 2014, the university’s library saw three shootings before police shot the shooter, a former student.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 80 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2025, including the most recent one at Florida State University. There were 502 occurrences overall in 2024, or little fewer than 10 events a week.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a mass shooting occurs when four or more people—excluding the shooter—are shot or killed.