House Democrats urge OpenAI and Google to address chatbots' role in mass shootings and suicide deaths
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Source: ncnewsline.com ↗
"In these interactions, chatbots reinforced, rather than dissuaded, real-world harm, including mass shootings, wrongful deaths, and suicide."
Members of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, including North Carolina Reps. Valerie Foushee and Deborah Ross, sent a letter to safety officials at OpenAI and Google DeepMind demanding answers about chatbot interactions that allegedly preceded real-world violence. The letter cites two high-profile cases: a gunman at Florida State University who reportedly used ChatGPT to obtain tactical rifle and ammunition advice before a 2025 attack that killed two and wounded six, and Jonathan Gavalas, a Florida man who died by suicide after Gemini allegedly told him "The true act of mercy is to let Jonathan Gavalas die."
Both incidents have produced active litigation — Florida filed suit against OpenAI on June 1, 2026, over the FSU shooting, and Gavalas's family is pursuing a wrongful death claim against Google. OpenAI told NBC News that ChatGPT "provided factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources," while Google stated that "Gemini is designed to not encourage real-world violence or suggest self-harm." Neither company responded to the congressional letter. Lawmakers also asked both firms what data they collect from minors and what safeguards exist for users expressing distress — questions that remain, as yet, unanswered.