CNN: FSU Shooter Identified as 20-Year-Old Son of Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy

MCNEIL: As Chief Revell indicated, I‘m Walter McNeil, Leon County sheriff. First and foremost, let me express our gratitude to the responding law enforcement agencies in this community. Our citizens should feel some degree of comfort knowing that your law enforcement agencies are going to respond and do exactly what we did in this case, that is, bring the offender to justice and to make sure that we do what we can to make sure we lock him or her up. Let me say to you, this is obviously a heinous crime. Our deepest condolences go out to the FSU family, the families of the students who are here, and we understand that you all have been devastated because of this person‘s actions. The question as relates to who is the shooter, the shooter is 20-year-old Phoenix Ekner — Ikner. And he‘s a son of a Leon County sheriff deputy. Our deputy, Deputy Ikner, has been with the Leon County Sheriff‘s Office for over 18 years. She has a tremendous job that she‘s done. Her service to this community has been exceptional. Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons. And that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene. And we are continuing that investigation into how that weapon was used and what other weapons perhaps he may have had access to. The alleged shooter was also a long-standing member of the Leon County Sheriff‘s Office citizen advisory or youth advisory council. So he has been steeped in the Leon County Sheriff‘s Office family, engaged in a number of training programs that we have. So it‘s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons. This event is tragic in more ways than you people in the audience could ever fathom from a law enforcement perspective. But I will tell you this. We will make sure that we do everything we can to prosecute and make sure that we send a message to folks that this will never be tolerated here in Leon County. And I dare say, across this state and across this nation. Thank you.”