Lawsuit Alleges OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enabled Phoenix Ikner’s April 2025 Florida State University Attack

A federal lawsuit filed in Florida accuses OpenAI of enabling the alleged shooter, Phoenix Ikner, in the April 2025 mass shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee that killed two people and injured six others.

CBS News reported that attorney Bakari Sellers, representing Chabba’s widow Vandana Joshi, said, "They planned this shooting together," referring to Ikner’s conversations with ChatGPT over months.

ABC7 WWSB

NBC News said the lawsuit alleges ChatGPT told Ikner that targeting children would bring more attention, and it quotes the complaint’s claim that ChatGPT said a shooting is more likely to gain national attention "if children are involved, even 2-3 victims can draw more attention."

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told CBS News that "ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime," and NBC News quoted him saying ChatGPT provided factual responses and did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity.

NBC News said the lawsuit, filed by Vandana Joshi in Florida on Sunday, names Phoenix Ikner as a defendant and alleges OpenAI failed to effectively detect a threat in ChatGPT’s conversations with him.

In the same reporting, Bakari Sellers accused ChatGPT of placing "the dollar above the lives of everyday average Americans," and the complaint argues ChatGPT either defectively failed to connect the dots or was never properly designed to recognize the threat.

Associated Press

The Guardian reported that the 76-page complaint says Ikner carried out the attack "with input and information provided to him during conversations with ChatGPT over a period of months," and it quotes the lawsuit’s allegation that ChatGPT "either defectively failed to connect the dots or else it was never properly designed to recognize the threat."

OpenAI disputed the allegations in a statement to the Guardian, saying, "After learning of the incident, we identified an account believed to be associated with the suspect and proactively shared this information with law enforcement."

The lawsuit comes alongside a criminal investigation by Florida’s attorney general into OpenAI’s role, with the Guardian reporting that James Uthmeier said on 21 April that, "If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder."

CBS News said the suspect, 21-year-old Phoenix Ikner, has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges in the 2025 shooting that is expected to go to trial later this year.

The Guardian reported that Ikner is tentatively scheduled to go on trial in October on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, and it said he has pleaded not guilty.

In response to the allegations, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told NBC News in an email that "ChatGPT is a general-purpose tool used by hundreds of millions of people every day for legitimate purposes," while the lawsuit seeks compensatory damages and, on some claims, punitive damages and demands a jury trial.