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by Antoinette DelBel
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — The family of a man killed in a mass shooting at Florida State University is suing OpenAI, alleging the company’s popular chatbot, ChatGPT, played a role in the gunman’s actions.
The federal lawsuit was filed Monday against both the alleged shooter and OpenAI. It stems from the April 2025 shooting on FSU’s campus that left two people dead and several others injured.
The victim, Tiru Chabba, 45, was a South Carolina father of two who was working for a vendor on campus when investigators say a student opened fire. Chabba and another victim, Robert Morales, were killed during the attack.
According to the lawsuit, the suspect, Phoenix Ikner, had been planning the shooting for months and used ChatGPT extensively in the leadup to the violence. The complaint alleges that those conversations included questions about weapons, locations, and timing that could cause the most harm.
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Attorneys for Chabba’s family also claim the chatbot encouraged the suspect’s delusions and suggested ways to gain media attention — allegations that have not been proven in court.
Civil rights attorney Bakari Sellers, who is representing the family, says the lawsuit raises broader concerns beyond politics.
“This issue is not about politics at all," Sellers said. "In fact, it's about the duty owed to the American public. It's making sure that other individuals like Ikner do not get their hands on weapons and are able to carry out mass murder with their coconspirator ChatGPT.”
OpenAI strongly disputes the claims. A spokesperson for the San Francisco based company says ChatGPT did not help plan the attack and only provides general, widely available information, not instructions for harm.
Court records show the suspect had more than 16,000 interactions with ChatGPT over an 18-month period.
The suspect’s murder trial is scheduled to begin in October.
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