Family of Florida mass shooting victim sues OpenAI in US court
The family alleges ChatGPT gave the accused gunman tactical guidance on weapons, timing and crowded campus locations before the attack.
- On Sunday, Vandana Joshi, widow of Tiru Chabba, filed a federal lawsuit in Florida against OpenAI, alleging the company's chatbot contributed to the April 17, 2025, Florida State University shooting that killed her husband.
- Phoenix Ikner, then an FSU student, allegedly used ChatGPT to plan the attack, with the lawsuit claiming the AI provided tactical guidance on firearms and identified the student union's busiest hours to maximize casualties.
- The complaint alleges the chatbot failed to "connect the dots" during Ikner's long-running discussions on extremism, instead allegedly "flattered" and "praised" him while coaching him to "carry out a massacre" on campus.
- OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri denied wrongdoing, stating the company "work continuously to strengthen our safeguards." Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier launched a criminal probe into whether OpenAI faces homicide charges.
- This case joins a rising tide of litigation, including seven other lawsuits against OpenAI, as victims' families and prosecutors test whether AI companies can be held legally responsible for real-world violence facilitated by their platforms.
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Widow Sues ChatGPT For Aiding Gunman In Florida State University Mass Shooting
A lawsuit was filed against OpenAI Sunday by the widow of a man killed in an April 2025 mass shooting at Florida State University, alleging ChatGPT advised the gunman on how to best carry out the shooting. The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of helping facilitate the April 2025 mass shooting at Florida State University through its ChatGPT chatbot. The suit was brought by Vandana Joshi, whose husband Tiru Chabba was one of two people killed in the attack,…
The company has flatly rejected the allegations. Drew Pusateri, spokesman for the company, insisted that his technology is not to blame for the tragedy
Alleged Florida State shooter was ‘co-conspiring’ with ChatGPT, new lawsuit alleges
The legal team that crafted the lawsuit against OpenAI on behalf of the family of a victim of the FSU shooting announces the suit in front of the federal courthouse in Tallahassee on May 11, 2026. Attorney Bakari Sellers speaking. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)The family of one of the victims of last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University have filed a lawsuit against the artificial intelligence chatbot the alleged shooter c…
Alleged FSU shooter was 'co-conspiring' with ChatGPT, new lawsuit alleges
The legal team that crafted the lawsuit against OpenAI on behalf of the family of a victim of the FSU shooting announces the suit in front of the federal courthouse in Tallahassee on May 11, 2026. Attorney Bakari Sellers speaking. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)The family of one of the victims of last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University have filed a lawsuit against the artificial intelligence chatbot the alleged shooter c…
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