FSU gunman Phoenix Ikner's birth mother posted a rant just before he killed 2 on campus– she once abducted him
Before Phoenix Ikner was named the shooter, his birth mother Anne-Mari Eriksen shared a scathing post attacking his father, Christopher Ikner.
The biological mother of Phoenix Ikner — the alleged gunman in the Florida State University shooting — launched into an angry social media rant just before her son was publicly identified as the suspect.
Phoenix Ikner, 20, was arrested on Thursday after allegedly killing two people and injuring six others in a violent shooting on the FSU campus.
Before authorities named him as the shooter, his birth mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, posted a scathing message targeting Phoenix’s father, Christopher Ikner. Court records reviewed by CBS News reveal that Eriksen and Christopher were embroiled in a custody battle that lasted more than 15 years.
The legal dispute began in 2007 and continued until 2023. During that time, Eriksen accused Christopher and his wife, Jessica, of slander, filing a lawsuit in 2015, which was ultimately dismissed the following year.
What did she write?
Just moments before Phoenix Ikner was identified as the suspect in the FSU shooting, Anne-Mari Eriksen, lashed out at Christopher and Jessica Ikner in a social media post on Thursday.
According to a now-deleted post viewed by The Mail, Eriksen accused Christopher of being mentally unstable and alleged that he and his wife were ignoring her attempts to get updates about Ikner.
She went on to describe the family as “nuts” and continued to direct insults at Christopher. “He should write a book on how to parent badly, but he can't communicate,” she claimed.
Anne-Mari Eriksen tried kidnapping her son once
According to Leon County court records, Phoenix Ikner’s biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, kidnapped him nearly a decade before the FSU shooting that occurred on Thursday, amid a bitter custody battle.
In March 2015, Eriksen violated a custody agreement by taking her 11-year-old son to Norway under false pretences. She had told her ex-husband, Christopher Ikner, that they were heading to South Florida for spring break — but instead fled to Scandinavia, triggering an international custody dispute. The incident was detailed in a probable cause affidavit reviewed by PEOPLE.
While in Norway, Eriksen reportedly avoided answering Christopher’s questions about when Phoenix would return. During this time, Phoenix — then known as Christian Gunnar Eriksen — missed school tests, medical appointments, and medication for his growth hormone disorder and ADHD, the affidavit states.
Upon returning to the US, Eriksen pleaded no contest to the charge of unlawfully removing a minor from the state and was sentenced, according to court records.
It remains unclear whether Phoenix maintained any contact with his birth mother after the incident.
