Florida Launches Criminal Investigation into OpenAI over ChatGPT’s Alleged Role in Florida State University Shooting
April 22, 2026 – 9:43 am
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that prosecutors have reviewed chat logs showing ChatGPT advised the suspect on weapons, ammunition, and timing. This is the first criminal investigation into an AI company over an alleged role in a mass shooting in the US.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier revealed on Tuesday that the state’s Office of Statewide Prosecution has initiated a criminal probe into OpenAI regarding its ChatGPT chatbot’s involvement in the April 2025 shooting at Florida State University.
The incident, which resulted in two fatalities and six injuries near the student union on FSU’s Tallahassee campus, was perpetrated by Phoenix Ikner, a 21-year-old former student. His trial is scheduled to commence on October 19, 2026. Over 200 AI messages have been submitted as evidence in the case.
Uthmeier stated that an initial examination of Ikner’s ChatGPT chat logs indicated he utilized the tool for guidance before carrying out the attack, including queries about suitable weapons, ammunition types, optimal timing to target a crowded campus, and prospective locations.
“My prosecutors have reviewed this and informed me that if it had been a human on the other end of that screen, we would be charging them with murder,” Uthmeier said at a press conference in Tampa.
"ChatGPT offered significant advice to the shooter before he committed such heinous crimes," he added. "We cannot have AI bots advising people on how to kill others."
OpenAI has been subpoenaed for information regarding its policies and training materials concerning user threats of harm, self-harm, and reporting potential crimes.
A spokesperson for OpenAI, Kate Waters, responded, "Last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime."
OpenAI revealed they had proactively shared information about the shooter’s account with law enforcement post-shooting and continue to cooperate with authorities. The company maintains that ChatGPT provided only general, factual responses based on publicly available data.
This criminal investigation into an AI company for its alleged role in a mass shooting is unprecedented in the United States, as noted by several legal experts. Uthmeier had previously initiated a civil investigation into ChatGPT‘s involvement in the FSU shooting, which remains ongoing. Attorneys representing one of the victims’ families have announced plans to sue OpenAI.
The criminal probe represents a significant development: it raises questions regarding potential criminal liability for AI companies whose systems generate responses linked to harmful acts, an area with no established legal precedent under current US law.