The Office of Statewide Prosecution is examining whether OpenAI bears criminal responsibility for the shooting under Florida’s “aider and abettor” statute, which holds anyone who aids, abets, or counsels a crime as responsible as the perpetrator.
Attorney General Uthmeier stated that if ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder, emphasizing that the investigation will determine the company’s potential criminal responsibility for the AI’s actions during the incident.
To support the inquiry, prosecutors have subpoenaed OpenAI for internal policies and training materials regarding user threats of harm to others and self, as well as protocols for cooperating with law enforcement and reporting possible past, present, or future crimes.
The subpoena also demands organizational charts, employee listings for the ChatGPT department, and all publicly released media and statements related to the April 17, 2025, shooting.
The investigation follows recent legislative and enforcement actions in Florida, including the signing of HB 1159 in March 2026, which increased penalties for AI-generated child sexual abuse materials to a second-degree felony.