Two people were killed and at least six were injured Thursday during mass shootings at Florida State University (FSU), U.S. investigators said.
Here’s what we know so far about the suspect, victim and investigation into the case:
What happened at Florida State University?
The gunman fired shot outside the FSU Student Union near lunchtime at 11:50am ET (15:50 GMT) on Thursday.
Hearing the gunshot, students and parents escaped in bowling alleys to find shelter and let the cargo within the student union escape.
The university immediately issued active shooter alerts. Shortly afterwards, Florida’s alert system announced that law enforcement had neutralised the threat.
Where was the FSU shooting?
The shooting took place outside the Student Union on the Main FSU campus in Tallahassee, Florida, near the state Capitol building.
More than 42,000 students are enrolled on FSU’s main campus.
Tallahassee, Florida’s capital, is approximately 350 km (220 miles) northwest of Orlando.
What do we know about the suspected attacker and weapons?
Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeill has identified the gunman as 20-year-old Phoenix Eckner, the son of a Leon County Sheriff’s deputy. His mother, named Jessica Eekner by the US media, has been working for the Sheriff’s Office for 18 years, McNeill said.
Phoenix Ekner is a student at FSU and university police chief Jason Trambower said at a press conference Thursday.
He had access to his mother’s handgun, which was once a service weapon, but now a personal firearm. “Unfortunately, her son had access to one of the weapons found at the scene,” McNeill said at a press conference.
In addition to the handgun, authorities believe that Ichner brought a shotgun to campus. It is unknown if this shotgun was used in the filming. Trambower said there was no evidence that anyone was shot with a shotgun.
Aidansticny, 21, a student at FSU Business Management, said he saw him stepping out of the car with a shotgun and targeting another man, the Associated Press reported. The gun got jammed and the attacker ran back into the car before returning with the handgun and firing at the woman, Stickney said.
When the attacker refused to surrender, police shot him and took him into custody.
Authorities have not yet speculated or revealed the attacker’s motives.
What do you know about the victims?
The identity of the victim is unknown.
The two who died were not college students, Trambower said.
Five people were injured in gunfire while trying to escape.
The injured victim is being treated at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. This is also where the attacker is being treated. The extent of the victim or the attacker’s injury is unknown. “At this point, details are still unfolding and there is no specific information yet,” the hospital’s statement said.
What was your reaction to this incident?
President Donald Trump said he was described the incident at FSU while talking to reporters in his oval office. “It’s scary, and it’s scary when something like this happens,” he said.
However, he suggested he would not support new laws on guns. “The guns don’t fire,” Trump said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to a series of posts and a shooting in a video posted on X.
We stand at Florida State University. Today we are all seminolles. pic.twitter.com/dumw3el48r
– Ron Desantis (@govrondesantis) April 17, 2025
All classes on FSU main campus on Thursday and Friday have been cancelled.
How many shootings have been taken in the US so far this year?
According to the non-profit website Gun Violence Archive, there have been 81 mass shootings in the US in 2025 so far. This includes FSU filming on Thursday.
In January, the 17-year-old suspect committed suicide after shooting a female high school student in Nashville, Tennessee, law enforcement officials said.
Thursday’s shooting was the second shot at FSU in 11 years. In 2014, alumni fired fire at the main library, causing injury to two students and one employee. The gunman was shot and killed by police.
What is the US gun law?
The US Constitution guarantees you the right to buy and carry a gun.
The second amendment to the US Constitution states that “the fully regulated militia, which are necessary for the security of a free state, the right to maintain and endure weapons, will not be infringed.”
In 2022, former US President Joe Biden signed his first major federal gun reform in 30 years. The bipartisan bill has helped to strengthen background checks for the youngest gun buyers and introduce legislation that will make it easier for the state to seize guns from people believed to be dangerous.
However, rules for owning guns vary from state to state.
Florida, for example, was famous for relaxing gun laws until 2018, when the state passed a powerful gun law after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. The new law has created an extreme risk protection order that restricts access to guns from people considered dangerous. They also raised the minimum age to buy guns to 21.
Can gun laws tighten in the US?
This is a highly contested subject. According to a report by the Pew Research Center published in July 2024, approximately 58% of American adults support stricter gun laws.
Samantha Barrios, Florida director of Gifford, Florida gun violence prevention agency, said in a statement: Giffords is led by former Congressman Gabrielle Giffords.
But lawmakers are reluctant to make major changes. Additionally, on February 7th, Trump signed an executive order “to end federal violations” of the second amendment and the right to protect Americans themselves and their families.
The order will abolish measures taken by the Biden administration to regulate the use of firearms, aiming to “dismantle gun control.”
In addition to the bipartisan Bill Biden signed in 2022, he has introduced other gun control measures. In April 2024, Biden introduced rules requiring online gun sellers or people selling firearms at gun shows to conduct background checks on their customers. In September 2024, he signed an executive order establishing a task force to crack down on machine gun conversion devices and unsignaled 3D printed guns.
“President Trump’s executive order could reopen the untraceable ghost gun market and undermine actions to protect Americans from gun trafficking and violent crime,” a statement from gun nonprofit Brady United said.
Some organizations advocate for restrictions on gun use, while others are lobbying against it.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) began as a recreational group for rifle shooting in 1871, but it grew rapidly into a political organization opposed to gun control. According to an NRA article, gun controls place restrictions on freedom guaranteed by the Second Amendment.
The NRA’s argument is that “criminals, by definition, do not follow the law. Gun control laws only affect those who comply with laws that pass the legal path to obtain firearms.”
