Artificial Intelligence

FSU Shooting Victim’s Family Sues OpenAI, Claims Suspect Used ChatGPT to Plan Attack

‘If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder,’ Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said.
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FSU Shooting Victim’s Family Sues OpenAI, Claims Suspect Used ChatGPT to Plan Attack
Student honors the deceased and injured students near the scene of a shooting at the Florida State University student center in Tallahassee, Fla., on April 18, 2025. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images
Troy Myers
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The family of one of the victims killed in the Florida State University (FSU) shooting last year has sued OpenAI, claiming the alleged gunman used ChatGPT to carry out the attack, attorneys for the family announced Monday.
According to the lawsuit, suspect Phoenix Ikner, who is a son of a sheriff’s deputy and was an FSU student at the time of the shooting on April 17, 2025, discussed his obsession with mass shootings and terrorism with the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, questioning which targets gain the most notoriety and what happens to a mass shooter after an attack.
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Troy Myers
Troy Myers
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Troy Myers is a regional reporter based in St. Augustine, Florida. His background includes breaking, criminal justice, and investigative writing for local news, producing on a national morning newscast in Washington, D.C., and working with an award-winning, weekly investigative news program. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his dog at the beach.