Allegations of ChatGPT Involvement in FSU Shooting
The attorney representing the family of a victim killed in the April 2025 Florida State University shooting claims that the shooter was in “constant contact” with ChatGPT while plotting the attack. This attorney, linked to the law firm Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, and Hobbs, intends to file a lawsuit against OpenAI for its potential liability in the deaths.
Robert Morales, a 57-year-old Aramark employee and father from Tallahassee, was among the two fatalities when Phoenix Ichner reportedly opened fire on campus. The shooting also resulted in the death of 45-year-old Til Chava, an Aramark vendor from Greenville, South Carolina, and injured six additional students.
The law firm stated they were informed about the shooter’s interactions with ChatGPT leading up to the incident. They assert there’s reason to suspect that ChatGPT may have provided guidance to Ichner on executing these violent acts.
Court documents reveal over 270 images of conversations with ChatGPT have been submitted as evidence, though the specific messages remain undisclosed.
OpenAI responded by confirming that they had identified a ChatGPT account linked to Ichner shortly after the event and that they had cooperated with law enforcement by sharing this information. A spokesperson emphasized that the company designed ChatGPT to discern intentions safely, and they continue to enhance the technology.
The shooting took place just before noon on April 17, 2025, near the FSU Student Union. Authorities reported that Ichner, then a public university student, used a handgun belonging to his stepmother, a deputy with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. He had a shotgun as well, although it was not used during the incident.
Law enforcement swiftly handled the situation and took Ichner into custody after he was shot and severely injured. He now faces charges including first-degree murder and attempted murder. Investigators have stated that the motive behind the shooting remains unclear, with no indication that Ichner had any prior connection to the victims.
The lawyers for Morales’ family are also exploring potential accountability for the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. They noted in a September letter that Ichner was involved with the department’s Youth Advisory Committee, where he allegedly received firearm training and displayed concerning behavior.
They argued that Ichner was not mentally stable and should not have been near any firearms, let alone trained on how to use them. The attorneys contend that the actions—or lack thereof—by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office contributed to Morales’ murder.
In related news, OpenAI is also facing a lawsuit regarding a school shooting in Canada earlier this year, alleging that the company was aware that the shooter exhibited threatening behavior but did not alert the authorities.
Documents indicate that Jesse Van Rootseller, then 17, created a ChatGPT account in the summer of 2025 and discussed various gun violence scenarios during interactions with the AI. Legal filings suggest that staff monitoring ChatGPT flagged these inquiries as posing a risk but were allegedly rebuffed by company executives when they sought to inform law enforcement.
Amid these discussions on AI’s implications, some voices in the conservative community call for comprehensive strategies to address potential dangers posed by artificial intelligence, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations moving forward.
