It’s been nearly a year since the deadly mass shooting on Florida State University’s campus, and information about the alleged gunman is still being revealed.
The family of Robert Morales, who was killed during the April 2025 attack, is planning to file a lawsuit against ChatGPT and its parent organization, OpenAI, in connection with the shooting.
“We have been advised that the shooter was in constant communication with ChatGPT leading up to the shooting,” Ryan Hobbs, a Tallahassee attorney representing Betty Morales, the wife of Robert, said. “We also have reason to believe that ChatGPT may have advised the shooter how to commit these heinous crimes.”
Continuing, Hobbs said, “(We) will seek to hold them accountable for the untimely and senseless death of our client, Mr. Morales.” Hobb is working the case with his law partner, Dean LeBoeuf.
Morales, 57, was a long-time football coach for several schools in Leon County and the University Dining Program Manager at FSU. He was a restaurateur behind such popular eateries as Gordo’s Authentic Cuban Cuisine, which he co-founded, and the Black Bean Cafe.
What happened during the 2025 Florida State University shooting?
Phoenix Ikner, 21, is the accused gunman in the mass shooting on Florida State University’s campus on April 17, 2025.
According to reports, Ikner, a former FSU student, opened fire at 11:56 a.m. in the area of the FSU Student Union. He was shot in the jaw and “neutralized” by an FSU police officer early in his attack, around noon.
The shooting claimed the lives of Morales and Tiru Chabba, 45, a married father of two from South Carolina, who was at FSU on a work-related visit. Ikner also injured six others.
Ikner lived with his father, Christopher Ikner, a maintenance supervisor, and his stepmother, Jessica Ikner, a school resource officer with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office at the time of the shooting. Her old service weapon was used in the FSU attack.
In the days following the shooting, those who knew Ikner said he had a history of espousing radical conspiracy theories and hateful ideas. His internet presence also came to light, which allegedly showed a fascination with Hitler, Nazis and other hate groups.
Did Phoenix Ikner use ChatGPT, OpenAI ahead of shooting?
Allegations that he used artificial intelligence ahead of the attack are recent. However, in a statement to various media organizations, OpenAI confirmed that it had found an account linked to Ikner.
“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this devastating tragedy. After learning of the incident in late April 2025, we identified a ChatGPT account believed to be associated with the suspect, proactively shared this information with law enforcement and cooperated with authorities. We build ChatGPT to understand people’s intent and respond in a safe and appropriate way, and we continue improving our technology.”
Local TV station WFLA reported that court records show there are 272 ChatGPT conversations that may be key evidence in Ikner’s upcoming trial.
What other lawsuits are against OpenAI, ChatGPT?
The pending lawsuit against OpenAI is not the first to allege that its chatbots encouraged users to either take their own lives or those of others.
The Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project announced in November 2025 that they had filed seven ChatGPT suicide lawsuits in California state courts against OpenAI, Inc., and its CEO, Sam Altman.
The lawsuits allege that OpenAI “knowingly released GPT-4o prematurely, despite internal warnings that the product was dangerously sycophantic and psychologically manipulative.”
“These lawsuits are about accountability for a product that was designed to blur the line between tool and companion, all in the name of increasing user engagement and market share,” Matthew P. Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, said in a statement.
Continuing: “OpenAI designed GPT-4o to emotionally entangle users, regardless of age, gender, or background, and released it without the safeguards needed to protect them. They prioritized market dominance over mental health, engagement metrics over human safety, and emotional manipulation over ethical design. The cost of those choices is measured in lives.”
The lawsuits were filed on behalf of Zane Shamblin, 23, of Texas; Amaurie Lacey, 17, of Georgia; Joshua Enneking, 26, of Florida; and Joe Ceccanti, 48, of Oregon, who each died by suicide. Survivors in the lawsuits are Jacob Irwin, 30, of Wisconsin; Hannah Madden, 32, of North Carolina, and Allan Brooks, 48, of Ontario, Canada.
What was Phoenix Ikner charged with?
A grand jury indicted Ikner in May 2025 on two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder, which include two people he allegedly fired at but didn’t strike.
He faces the death penalty.
Where is Phoenix Ikner right now?
He is being held at the Wakulla County Detention Facility, where he was transferred because of family ties to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.
According to reports, Ikner is scheduled to stand trial in October, almost a year later than originally planned for November 2025.
Contributing: Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat
Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Family of man killed in FSU shooting may sue OpenAI, ChatGPT. See why
Reporting by Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
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