(Ken Silva, Headline USA) As police continue to investigate a possible motive for the man who allegedly killed two people and wounded at least six others in Thursday’s mass shooting at Florida State University, liberal media outlets are focusing on the shooter’s purported right-wing ideology—with reports emerging that alleged gunman Phoenix Ikner was kicked out of a political club for espousing “racist and white supremacist views.”
However, other details are emerging that are arguably far more relevant to understanding what may have led to Ikner’s actions: He was apparently abused by his mother.
When Ikner was a child, his parents were involved in several custody disputes with his biological mother, court records show.
In 2015, when he was 10, his biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, said she was taking him to South Florida for spring break in 2015 but instead traveled to Norway.
He was abused by his mother, and was developmentally disabled. https://t.co/67Y39SckLU pic.twitter.com/yDgseUfxq3
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) April 19, 2025
According to the Washington Post, Ikner told his stepmother, Jessica Ikner, that Eriksen had forced him to lie to his father about doing his homework, taking the hormone shots required for his growth disorder and brushing his teeth.
“He said his mother didn’t bring his toothbrush or buy him one, and that he did not brush his teeth for 103 days,” the Post reported Saturday.
“After they returned to the U.S., the boy and his father successfully sought a protective order against Eriksen, whom they accused of domestic violence, including scratching and punching her child, court documents show.”
Ikner’s father also filed an emergency motion for custody, reportedly expressing fears that his son, who he said had developmental delays and special needs, was not getting the medication that he needed, according to the New York Post.
After returning to the U.S., Erkisen pleaded no contest to removing a minor from the state against a court order and was sentenced to 200 days in jail. She later moved to vacate her plea, but that was denied.
In the fall of that same year, Eriksen filed a civil libel-slander complaint against Jessica Ikner, along with several other family members. The complaint, which was later dismissed, accused them of harassing Eriksen and abusing Ikner’s position at the sheriff’s office.
In 2020, at age 15, the suspect received court approval to change his name from Christian Eriksen to Phoenix Ikner, court documents show. His old name was a constant reminder of a “tragedy” he suffered, in the words of administrative magistrate James Banks, who approved the request, NBC News reported.
Banks observed that Ikner was a “mentally, emotionally and physically mature young adult who is very articulate” and “very polite” said he chose the new name as a representation of “rising from the ashes anew.”
Deputy’s Family Has Stayed Quiet for Now
A Tallahassee Police Department patrol car was stationed Thursday evening near the street where the family lives, blocking reporters from approaching the family’s home in a well-kept suburban neighborhood on the city’s east side.
Phone messages left for Jessica Ikner at a number listed for her on a school resource website and another phone connected to her through public records were not immediately returned Friday. And a sheriff’s office spokeswoman said she is not aware of the family putting out a statement or having a family spokesperson.
The only insight comes from the past statements. Nearly a decade ago, Jessica Ikner wrote a story posted on the Tallahassee Family Magazine website about children’s safety while surfing the internet, including tips to strengthen family bonds.
“Build a trusting relationship with your child,” she wrote. “Let them know that if they do make a mistake they can still come to you about anything.”
Ikner was shot by police during his rampage on Thursday, and he remains in custody.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
