Crime
38-year-old Gregory Stevens charged after reports of an active shooter prompted the evacuation at Acadiana Mall
Witnesses reported that Stevens was acting erratically, which raised alarm among patrons.
A Lafayette man has been taken into custody following a report of a potential active shooter that led to the evacuation of the Acadiana Mall on Thursday evening.
The Lafayette Police Department (LPD) responded to a call around 5:30 p.m. regarding a person reportedly armed with a firearm inside the Acadiana Mall on Johnston Street, according to LPD spokesperson Matthew Benoit.
The report prompted an immediate response from multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police.
Officers conducted thorough interior and exterior sweeps of the mall, but no armed individuals were located, Benoit confirmed.
Rumors on social media suggested gunshots were heard during the incident. However, Benoit clarified:
“Officers have no information confirming that shots were fired during the incident. During the evacuation, several businesses began closing their roll-down security doors, creating loud slamming sounds throughout the building, accompanied by people yelling and fleeing the area.”
The investigation revealed that Gregory Stevens, 38, entered the mall on Thursday evening. Stevens, a former mall security guard, had been terminated from his position in December and banned from the property.
Witnesses reported that Stevens was acting erratically, which raised alarm among patrons.
Stevens was later apprehended at a residence on Pleasant View Drive. He was booked into custody and faces the following charges:
- Terrorizing
- Trespassing
- Active warrant for possession of a stolen firearm
Authorities emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing.
LPD has reassured the public that there is no ongoing threat and that the swift response by law enforcement ensured the safety of all mall patrons and employees. Law enforcement continues to urge individuals to report any suspicious activity.
Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.
Crime
FSU Shooting Suspect Phoenix Ikner Previously Known as Christian Gunnar Eriksen Before 2020 Name Change
Newly surfaced court records provide insight into the early life of Phoenix Ikner, the 20-year-old accused in the mass shooting at Florida State University.
Ikner, who was formerly known as Christian Gunnar Eriksen, legally changed his name in 2020, according to law enforcement sources.
For clarity, he will be referred to as Phoenix Ikner throughout this report.
Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil had previously identified Ikner as the son of longtime sheriff’s deputy Jessica Ikner.
However, court documents clarify that Jessica Ikner is his stepmother. His biological mother is identified as Anne-Mari Eriksen.
Records describe a complex and often volatile family situation.
In 2015, Anne-Mari Eriksen was arrested and charged with kidnapping after violating a custody agreement and taking then-10-year-old Ikner to Norway without his father’s consent.
According to an arrest affidavit, Eriksen had told Ikner’s father that she was taking the child to South Florida, but instead fled the country.
The affidavit highlights that Ikner, who at the time had developmental delays and special needs, required consistent medical care, including medication for a growth hormone disorder and ADHD.
His father told authorities he feared those needs were not being met during Ikner’s time abroad.
The documents state that Eriksen failed to keep Ikner in school for scheduled evaluations, missed medical appointments, and neglected to administer prescribed medications while in Norway.
Eriksen was arrested upon her return to the United States on July 27, 2015, at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
She was booked into the Leon County Jail and later entered a no contest plea. On July 14, 2016, she was sentenced to 200 days in jail (with credit for 170 days served), followed by two years of community control and two additional years of probation.
Additional court records reveal that Eriksen later filed an unsuccessful civil lawsuit against Ikner’s father, stepmother Jessica Ikner, and two other relatives.
Ikner himself—then still legally named Christian Gunnar Eriksen—was also listed as a defendant at the age of 11.
In the lawsuit, Eriksen alleged that her son had suffered psychological and emotional abuse amid contentious family court proceedings.
She accused Jessica Ikner of writing “unwanted” letters and placing them in her son’s backpack, and also claimed she had struck the child.
Eriksen sought $80,000 in damages, stating that the amount would be deposited into her son’s college fund.
The case was dismissed seven months later by the judge, who issued the dismissal sua sponte, meaning on the court’s own accord and not at the request of either party.
This information comes in the aftermath of the deadly shooting on FSU’s campus.
Two men, both unaffiliated with the university, were killed and five others injured during the incident.
Ikner was identified as the shooter and was taken into custody after being shot by responding officers.
He remains hospitalized. Authorities have confirmed that the campus is now secure, though the crime scene remains active.
Florida State University has canceled all classes and events through Friday as the investigation continues.