‘Our community’s worst nightmare’: Suspected FSU campus shooter indicted Wednesday on murder charges
Phoenix Ikner’s indictment and the grand jury’s true bill offer the most detailed account of the April 17 shooting so far
Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence. Please read with care.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Just one day after the suspected Florida State University campus shooter appeared for the first time in court, a grand jury indicted him on multiple murder charges.
Phoenix Ikner, 20, was indicted Wednesday on two first-degree murder charges and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm. He is accused of opening fire near the FSU Student Union last month, fatally shooting two people and injuring seven others.
If convicted, he could face life in prison or the death penalty.
WCTV obtained the five-page indictment Monday afternoon. Later that day, the state attorney released a so-called true bill presentment produced by the grand jury. The papers offer insight into what evidence the grand jury reviewed Wednesday and explanations for their decision to indict Ikner.
It’s the most detailed account of the events of April 17 so far.
Among the most significant new details in the document are revelations about Ikner’s alleged actions. The document says that Ikner carried two firearms during the rampage, which were both allegedly stolen from his parents.
“One was a 12-gauge shotgun that, blessedly, failed to properly operate. He stole this from his parents’ home,” the jury wrote. “His other weapon was a .45 pistol that he stole from his father’s bedside.”
The group concluded that Ikner acted alone and that his targets were allegedly selected at random. They also believed that there were no warning signs.
The 20-year-old had “no history of mental health or behavioral referrals indicating him as a threat” at Leon County Schools or Tallahassee State College. A “review of his one semester at Florida State University” led to the same conclusion.
The grand jury was candid in sharing their conclusions, saying in part, “While we recognize that we may never fully understand why they were killed, we do wish to present some preliminary findings based on the evidence already discovered.”
As part of their work, the grand jury reviewed the following:
- “Testimony from Leon County Sheriff Lieutenant Wiley Meggs, an expert on law enforcement’s use of force training and protocols”
- Testimony from Cameron Collins, the “criminal investigator of the underlying murders and attempted murders”
- “Most importantly, we reviewed the surveillance video of the Florida State campus during this criminal episode.”
“This, accompanied by the body camera recordings of the responding officers, allowed a clear understanding of Ikner and the officer’s actions,” the jury wrote.
Additionally, the document reveals that as part of the jury’s convention, they reviewed the use of force by FSU Police Officer Cody Poppell, identified in the document as the officer who shot Ikner.
The jury said that Poppell was driving on his motorcycle when he heard gunfire and immediately changed route to barrel toward the sounds, rushing past “panicked students running past Strozier Library” and driving on sidewalks to make it to “the space between Moore Auditorium and the Student Union.”
There, he could “clearly see the gunman chasing and shooting at another potential victim.”
The grand jury said that not only was Poppell’s use of force justified, it was heroic.
“Miraculously, the shooting was stopped three minutes and three seconds after the first round was fired. We thank the men and women of law enforcement who once again ran into danger so that others could be safe,” the true bill said. “However, we also mourn those who were lost.”
Multiple killed, injured after shooting at Florida State University:
The new details come as part of a rapid series of updates in Ikner’s case.
Prosecutors wasted no time charging the FSU student after his Monday release from the hospital. He was hospitalized for several weeks after being shot in the jaw by law enforcement as they responded to the campus shooting.
Ikner is expected in court for an arraignment hearing on Wednesday, June 11, according to court records.
See the full indictment here:
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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