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A lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT told accused gunman Phoenix Ikner that shootings are more likely to gain national attention “if children are involved”
The complaint claims Ikner discussed firearms, mass shootings and peak traffic times at FSU’s student union with the chatbot before the attack
OpenAI says ChatGPT provided “factual responses” and “did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity”
The widow of a man killed in last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University is suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT helped accused gunman Phoenix Ikner plan aspects of the deadly attack through months of conversations about firearms, mass shootings and crowded areas on campus.
Vandana Joshi — whose husband, Tiru Chabba, was killed alongside Florida State University dining coordinator Robert Morales in the April 2025 shooting — filed the federal lawsuit Sunday against OpenAI and Ikner, according to NBC News and CBS News.
The complaint alleges ChatGPT discussed weapons, tactical details and peak traffic times at FSU’s student union with Ikner before the shooting, which also left five other people injured, per the outlets. PEOPLE previously reported that Chabba and Morales were killed when a gunman opened fire near the university’s student union building around lunchtime on April 17, 2025.
OpenAI denied responsibility for the attack in a statement shared with NBC News and CBS News.
Tiru Chabba, Robert Morales
Credit: Courtesy of The Strom Law Firm; gofundme
“Last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime,” OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said, according to the outlets.
Pusateri added that ChatGPT “provided factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources on the internet” and “did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity,” per NBC and CBS.
According to the complaint, Ikner spent months discussing “his interests in Hitler, Nazis, fascism, national socialism, Christian nationalism, and perceptions about ‘Jews’ and ‘blacks’” with the chatbot before the shooting, NBC reported.
The complaint also alleges Ikner shared images of firearms with ChatGPT and received guidance about how to use them, including statements that a Glock handgun had no safety and was “quick to use under stress,” according to NBC.
Per the complaint, ChatGPT allegedly told Ikner that shootings are more likely to gain national attention “if children are involved,” according to NBC.
Credit: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty
The complaint also alleges ChatGPT discussed peak traffic times at FSU’s student union with Ikner, allegedly telling him that weekday lunchtimes between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. were busiest. Ikner allegedly began the shooting around 11:57 a.m., NBC reported.
The complaint further alleges Ikner asked ChatGPT about “the legal process, sentencing, and incarceration outlook” on the day of the shooting, per the outlet.
“Ikner had multiple lengthy conversations with ChatGPT about his interests in Hitler, Nazis, fascism, national socialism, Christian nationalism and worse. They talked about multiple mass shootings and they planned this shooting together,” attorney Bakari Sellers, who represents Joshi, said in a statement shared by CBS News.
Phoenix Ikner
Credit: Leon County Sheriff’s Office
The complaint alleges OpenAI “failed to connect the dots” despite Ikner’s repeated conversations about violence, terrorism, suicide and mass shootings, according to NBC.
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier previously announced a criminal investigation into OpenAI after reviewing Ikner’s chat logs, NBC reported.
PEOPLE previously reported that Ikner — the son of a longtime Leon County sheriff’s deputy — was shot by police after the attack and hospitalized. Authorities said at the time that a handgun found at the scene belonged to his mother.
Credit: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty
Ikner, 21, has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges connected to the shooting and is expected to stand trial later this year, according to CBS News.
The case is one of several recent lawsuits alleging AI chatbots played a role in violent crimes or mental health crises. NBC reported that OpenAI was also sued last month by families connected to a school shooting in Canada.
Read the original article on People