Widow claims ChatGPT gave FSU shooter tips on who to target, guns to use
A widow filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI after learning ChatGPT allegedly instructed Phoenix Ikner on how to carry out a 2025 shooting in Florida. The lawsuit comes weeks after Florida’s attorney general opened a criminal inquiry into the program’s role in the shooting.
Vandana Joshi filed the federal lawsuit Sunday, accusing OpenAI of failing to safeguard its product from giving Ikner instructions on which guns to use and how to gain maximum attention in the Florida State University shooting. Joshi added in the lawsuit that Ikner grew attached to ChatGPT as he detailed experiences with bullying and suicide.
Ikner killed Joshi’s husband, Tiru Chabba, and dining director Robert Morales. Six other people were wounded. Joshi is requesting a jury trial for claims of wrongful death, battery, negligent entrustment, failure to warn, negligent and defective design and negligence.
“Ikner’s conversations with ChatGPT fed his delusions and felt supportive to him, which emboldened and encouraged him to carry out the plan,” according to the lawsuit.
Several weeks before the lawsuit, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced he had opened a criminal investigation into OpenAI’s chatbot as it related to the FSU shooting. His office received hundreds of messages Ikner exchanged with the bot, where in one, Ikner asked the chatbot about national reaction to mass shootings and what times were the busiest at FSU’s student union, where Ikner carried out the shooting.
“We cannot have AI bots that are advising others on how to kill others,” Uthmeier said in an April press conference.
Joshi accused the program of doing just that.
“Put simply: usually 3 or more dead, or around 5–6 total victims, is enough to push it onto national media, though the setting and online attention can change that,” according to the lawsuit.
OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to Straight Arrow’s request for comment. The company has previously stated ChatGPT wasn’t responsible for the shooting.
“Last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime,” OpenAI spokesperson Kate Waters told NBC News.
The technology company faces growing scrutiny for its bot, ChatGPT, and its accused lack of safeguards, leading to multiple mental health crises and suicide. Since Uthmeier’s announcement, OpenAI has released a trusted contact tool. This optional feature lets users designate a person to be notified if the platform recognizes that a person “may have discussed harming themselves in a way that indicates a serious safety concern.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
