The man accused of opening fire at Florida State University appeared before a judge in person for the first time on Tuesday, more than a year after investigators say the shooting left two people dead and six others injured.
Authorities say Phoenix Ikner, 21, is responsible for the 2025 attack. Ikner did not speak during the hearing and remained quiet as the court discussed scheduling and the pace of the case moving toward trial.
Right now, Ikner’s trial is set for October, but much of Tuesday’s hearing centered on whether that timeline is realistic.
Ikner’s defense attorney, Blake Johnson, asked the court for more time to prepare. But Circuit Judge Lance Neff repeatedly pushed back, expressing frustration with ongoing requests for delays.
“No one is guaranteed forever to put on a defense. That’s just not reasonable,” Neff said from the bench.
The judge also admonished Johnson over what Neff characterized as a pattern of seeking more time since the case began. At one point, Neff questioned how much additional witness testimony the defense needs if some of the alleged events are captured on video.
“Two of the alleged acts are allegedly on videotape,” Neff said. “So I guess my question for you is if something is on an objective source of evidence, such as videotape. What does it help you to get subjective testimony from 20, 50, 100 other witnesses who saw the same thing when you have the videotape of the alleged event?”
Prosecutors agreed the witness portion of the case is time-consuming, noting that many victims are now living outside the area. They also said numerous law enforcement officers who responded that day came from agencies across Florida, adding to the complexity of coordinating interviews and preparation.
Attorneys also told the court that Ikner has ties to Norway, which could require some depositions to take place there.
Neff emphasized that the court must balance the defendant’s right to a fair trial with the rights of victims.
“There are competing obligations here,” Neff said. “There’s one that he gets a fair trial. Fair enough. But there’s also one [that] the victims get a resolution to this. That’s also in the Florida Constitution.”
Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty in the case.
Neff said he will consider the requests for more time and issue a ruling at a later date. For now, the trial remains scheduled for October.