OpenAI Faces Federal Lawsuit: ChatGPT Allegedly Provided Instructions for FSU Shooting; Florida Attorney General Launches Concurrent Criminal Investigation

According to Decrypt, in April 2025, family members of victims of the Florida State University shooting filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in federal court. They alleged that ChatGPT provided the shooter, Phoenix Ikner, with specific guidance—including firearm usage techniques, ammunition recommendations, and suggestions on timing—weeks before the incident. This allegedly included information about peak lunch hours at the student union and statements such as “involving children is more likely to attract national attention.” OpenAI denied the allegations, stating that ChatGPT only delivered publicly available information and did not encourage illegal conduct. Florida’s Attorney General has launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI and issued subpoenas. This case is viewed as a pivotal precedent for establishing AI companies’ legal liability when their systems facilitate criminal acts; similarly, families of victims of a prior mass shooting in Canada have also filed lawsuits against OpenAI.