Florida prosecutors are widening their investigation into OpenAI after authorities say its ChatGPT tool provided guidance to the alleged suspect in last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday that his office has issued subpoenas to OpenAI, citing evidence that the suspect consulted the chatbot about weapons, ammunition, and tactical questions in the moments leading up to the attack.
Court documents cited by NBC News show he posed questions to ChatGPT right before the attack, including, “What time is it the busiest in the FSU student union?” and “If there was a shooting at FSU, how would the country react?”
According to Uthmeier, the alleged shooter, Phoenix Ikner, asked ChatGPT about what type of firearm to use, how certain weapons perform at short range, and where the largest concentration of people could be found on campus.
AG James Uthmeier joins FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass in Tampa to announce Criminal Investigation into OpenAI https://t.co/52woqfWgic
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) April 21, 2026
“My prosecutors have looked at this and have told me if this were a person on the other end of the screen, we would be charging them with murder,” Uthmeier said.
He said prosecutors are exploring both criminal charges and civil action tied to the FSU case, while also examining separate concerns involving alleged child exploitation material and claims the platform may have enabled self-harm behavior.
“Just because this is a chatbot in AI does not mean that there is no criminal culpability,” Uthmeier said.
“So, we are going to look at who knew what, designed what, or should have done what. And if it is clear that individuals knew that this type of dangerous behavior might take place, that these types of unfortunate, tragic events might take place, and nevertheless still turned to profits, still allowed this business to operate, then people need to be held accountable.”
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OpenAI denied responsibility for the shooting. “Last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime,” the company said in a statement.
“In this case, ChatGPT provided factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources on the internet, and it did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity.”
Police took Ikner into custody the same day as the attack after officers shot him when he allegedly failed to follow their commands. The shooting left two people dead and six others injured.
He has remained in jail on numerous murder and attempted murder charges.
The Florida investigation is unfolding alongside other recent incidents involving mass shootings.
In Iowa City, five people were wounded early Sunday morning after gunfire erupted near the University of Iowa.
Police officers responded at 1:46 a.m. to reports of a large fight in the 100 block of East College Street and heard shots as they arrived.
No arrests have been made, and investigators are reviewing security footage that captured multiple persons of interest.
“There is no known ongoing threat associated with this incident,” police said.
Authorities identified five victims, one in critical condition and four in stable condition.
Video circulating online appears to show a confrontation involving a large group before the shooting, with several individuals seen striking one another as bystanders shouted for them to stop.
Investigators say the violence spread quickly, leaving officers to sort through conflicting accounts and identify those involved.
Federal authorities also announced an arrest tied to a separate mass shooting in Louisiana that left eight children dead.
Charles Ford, a 56-year-old Shreveport resident, is accused of illegally possessing the rifle used in the attack and providing it to the gunman, Shamar Elkins.
Prosecutors said Ford, a convicted felon barred from owning firearms, initially denied ever having the weapon when questioned by federal agents.
Authorities say he later acknowledged storing the firearm beneath a seat and indicated that Elkins likely took possession of it.
Ford faces up to 15 years in federal prison on the felon-in-possession charge and an additional five years for making false statements.
Investigators traced the weapon back to Ford as they worked to reconstruct how Elkins obtained it before launching a multi-scene domestic rampage.
Elkins, 31, was killed by police after the attack, which authorities say began with a domestic dispute and escalated into a series of shootings.
Seven of the eight victims, ranging in age from 1 to 14, were identified as his own children.
The Justice Department said the case against Ford centers on his role in transferring the firearm despite his legal prohibition from possessing it.
