Mother and grandmother talk about the past of Phoenix Ikner, the suspect in the FSU shooting

In the midst of the profound pain and shock caused by the shooting that occurred on the campus of Florida State University (FSU), the mother and biological grandmother of the alleged shooter, Phoenix Ikner, have spoken out in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, providing a raw account of the young man's family background and directly pointing to his father and stepmother as responsible for his alleged radicalization.

Phoenix, suspected of killing two people and injuring six others in the attack carried out on Thursday in Tallahassee, has been identified by the police as the son of Leon County Sheriff's assistant, Jessica Ikner. According to authorities, he used his stepmother's weapon in the attack. The young man remains hospitalized with serious but non-fatal injuries.

Ikner's maternal grandmother, Susan Eriksen, described the young man's father, Christopher Ikner, and his wife Jessica as “bastard and rotten people” who distanced the boy from his biological family and helped shape his violent thinking. “They taught him to hunt, they are intolerant people, they hated a lot of people,” stated the 79-year-old woman.

Eriksen revealed that neither she nor her daughter, Anne Mari Eriksen, the biological mother of Ikner, had seen the young man in over 10 years after a long and bitter custody battle. "He was a sweet boy, very intelligent... it was the worst custody fight," she lamented.

Ikner's mother expressed that she is “as shocked as everyone else... this is very hard, very sad.” One simply doesn't think this is going to happen.

Her mother added that they learned about the shooting through television and not from their father, who cut off all contact with them years ago. "We tried to call, but he hung up on us and then changed the number," she reported.

Both women said they are looking for ways to see Phoenix in the hospital, although they claim that the authorities have not allowed them to get close.

Judicial documents cited by DailyMail.com confirm that Anne Mari Eriksen faced multiple charges during the custody dispute, including the removal of the minor from the state. She even took him to Phoenix in Norway, where both have citizenship.

She was sentenced to 200 days in prison, 170 of which have already been served, and was prohibited from contacting her son, as well as his school, doctors, and extracurricular programs. In the legal documents, Phoenix appears under her original name: Christian Eriksen (not related to the football player of the same name).

The mother shared a post on social media on the day of the shooting, shortly before the attacker's identity was publicly revealed, in which she expressed concern for her son and accused the father of parental alienation. "It's horrifying that your child's alienating father is so mentally unstable, along with his police officer wife."

After the attack, alarming testimonies began to emerge regarding the political and social inclinations of the young man. Former classmates from debate groups and political clubs at FSU stated that Ikner openly promoted white supremacy and far-right rhetoric.

“He was known for crossing boundaries. He promoted fascist rhetoric, white supremacist values, and fervently supported Donald Trump,” stated Reid Seybold, the president of a political club that expelled him.

Another student, Riley Pusins, corroborated these claims, stating that Phoenix attended meetings every week and was widely identified as a “fascist” among his peers.

On Thursday, Ikner was captured on video walking through the FSU campus and indiscriminately shooting at students. Social media was flooded with images of panic and chaos, including scenes of victims being assisted by paramedics.

Two adult men lost their lives, and six people were injured while fleeing the scene. On Sunday morning, doctors reported that the victims continue to make progress in their recovery. Meanwhile, on Monday, the beginning of classes at FSU is scheduled.

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