Peter Schorsch
Sirens pierced the air across downtown Tallahassee as lawmakers worked through budget and policy negotiations last Thursday.
Just a mile away, shots had been reported on the Florida State University campus. Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old student with a “troubling fascination with Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany” and a history of espousing hateful, racist rhetoric, opened fire in the bustling FSU student union, leaving two dead and six others, not counting the shooter, hospitalized.
The tragedy has rattled the city and intensified calls for action — including efforts in support of a pending state funding proposal aimed at protecting students from hate-fueled violence.
According to newly released records compiled by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Ikner had a disturbing online history steeped in Nazi iconography, White supremacist messaging and references to hate groups including Patriot Front, a leading White nationalist organization in the U.S.
Ikner’s digital footprint included screen names referencing Hitler’s SS, memes glorifying Nazi Germany and livestream content referencing “scientific racism” and Confederate symbolism.
According to peers and former classmates, he was removed from a campus political group for expressing extremist views — including claims that Rosa Parks was “in the wrong” and that Black neighbors were “ruining” his community.
The April 17 victims were targeted randomly, officials say. But the shooter’s ideology — and its violent outcome — highlights the urgent need to counter radicalization and prevent hate crimes before they unfold.
That’s exactly what a bipartisan group of Florida lawmakers hope to do with a funding initiative to amplify Jewish student safety on college campuses. The proposal, under active consideration in both chambers, aims to enhance campus security, surveillance upgrades, mental health interventions, and educational initiatives to counter antisemitism and hate-fueled misinformation at FSU, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida.
If funded, this will mark the state — and nation’s — first large-scale effort of its kind.
Sen. Corey Simon, a Tallahassee Republican, and Rep. Allison Tant, a Democrat representing the FSU area, are leading the effort locally. For efforts at UF, Republican Sen. Stan McClain and Rep. Chad Johnson are co-sponsors. Republican Sen. Danny Burgess and House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell are championing the proposal for students at USF.
“We have an obligation to make sure every student, of every background, feels safe on campus,” Driskell said of the initiative. “Safety stems from a sense of understanding, and this project is focused on building those kinds of bridges.”
“Education should be a space for dialogue and learning, not fear and intimidation,” McClain added.
According to data released by the ADL, 83% of Jewish college students nationwide have experienced or witnessed antisemitism since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. In Florida, ongoing survey research from Sachs Media shows disturbing trends in public sentiment, including a fourfold increase since 2022 in the number of Floridians who believe Jews were responsible for what happened to them in the Holocaust. Among Floridians under 45, 40% say Hamas was justified in its attacks, and 26% say violence against American supporters of Israel is warranted.
“This is about taking action — not just reacting to antisemitism but actively working to prevent it,” Burgess said. “USF, UF and FSU are leading the charge, and we hope these efforts can serve as a successful model elsewhere.”
For Brian Pelc, Executive Director of Hillel at FSU, last week’s shooting — tied to extremist ideology — shifts the conversation from whether this funding is necessary to how fast it can be implemented.
“Our community is grieving deeply, but we’re also resolved to act,” Pelc said. “This initiative is about more than security — it’s about building understanding, strengthening relationships, and confronting hate before it turns violent. We know that when someone glorifies Hitler, the harm doesn’t stop with the Jewish community. The consequences can reach anyone, as we’ve just seen.”
Prior to uncovering Ikner’s hateful digital footprint, the ADL had offered the organization’s support for Florida’s funding efforts.
“All students should be free to learn in an environment without fear for their safety and engage in campus activities without fear of harassment or intimidation,” said Daniel Frank, ADL’s Florida Regional Director.
