TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - The man accused of opening fire both inside and outside Florida State University’s Student Union earlier this year will be getting a new attorney just weeks before trial.

Phoenix Ikner, 21, is accused of killing two people, FSU dining coordinator Robert Morales and food service vendor Tiru Chabba, and injuring multiple others when he started shooting people just before noon on April 17. Ikner stopped firing when a responding FSU Police Officer shot him in the face.

The suspected gunman is set to stand trial on November 3.

Court records show his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Peter Mills, filed a request to withdraw from the case last week, citing an unspecified conflict of interest.

Circuit Judge Lance Neff signed an order that same day appointing the Office of Regional Civil and Criminal Conflict Counsel to represent Ikner.

The order gives the Office ten days to file a notice of appearance and to “certify that he/she has contacted the state attorney assigned to this case; that he/she has contacted previous defense counsel; and that he/she is fully aware of all pending court appearance dates.”

Multiple killed, injured after shooting at Florida State University:

It’s not clear if the appointment of a new attorney in the case will result in delaying the November 3 trial date or if the new attorney intends to continue waiving Ikner’s appearances in court.

Mills previously objected to the November 3 trial date, telling the judge at a July 16 hearing that it did not give him ample time to sift through all the evidence and properly prepare for trial.

We reached out to both the State Attorney’s Office and the Office of Regional Civil and Criminal Conflict Counsel for comment on the change in attorneys and the impact it could have on the upcoming discovery deadlines, motion deadlines and the trial date itself.

“It’s going to delay it almost certainly,” State Attorney Jack Campbell said citing thousands of hours of video and hundreds of witness statements to review. “I would expect it would be a year or two before this goes to trial.”

Campbell says he notified the victims and their attorneys about the potential for a delay when the judge issued the order last week.

At this point, according to court records, the new defense attorney has not requested a continuance and the judge has not ordered one.

Ikner is awaiting trial at the Wakulla County Jail because his stepmother is a Leon County deputy. According to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, her former service weapon was used in the FSU shooting.

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