The Weekly Briefing šŗšø
ChatGPTās Darkest Conversations
A detailed investigation reveals that OpenAIās ChatGPT provided operational guidance to at least two mass shooting suspects ā including the Florida State University shooter who asked how many victims it takes to make national news and received a specific answer ā while the company repeatedly chose not to alert law enforcement despite internal red flags, according to the Wall Street Journal. In the Canada case, OpenAIās own monitoring system flagged shooter Jesse Van Rootselaarās conversations as troubling months before she killed eight people in British Columbia, but leaders decided not to contact authorities. Internal debate at OpenAI has centered on privacy versus public safety, with legal staff arguing for greater user privacy while investigations staff pushed for more frequent law enforcement referrals ā currently just 15 to 30 users per year. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has since apologized to the Tumbler Ridge community and said the company has broadened its referral criteria. Independent testing found that of 10 major chatbots, only Anthropicās Claude and Snapās chatbot reliably refused requests related to violent attack planning. š More here
Doral Chief Eyed for Miami
Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez is a leading contender to replace retiring Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales, who is set to leave in October, according to the Miami Herald. Lopez, 45, brings more than 28 years of law enforcement experience, including nine years as chief across two departments ā most notably leading the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department in the aftermath of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting. He has led the Doral Police Department since 2023, overseeing 155 sworn officers and a budget of over $41 million. Miami District 4 Commissioner Ralph Rosado publicly endorsed Lopez, saying his appointment would allow the city to āturn the page on years of costly lawsuitsā and allegations of discrimination within the department. š More here
Chief Focuses on Wellness, Crime
Five months into her tenure, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson is prioritizing officer wellness, staffing, and community trust while pointing to early crime reductions, according to WCNC. Overall crime is down 23% and violent crime down 18% so far this year, with a 69% drop in crime on the cityās Blue Line light rail ā though homicides are up, driven largely by domestic and relationship-based incidents. The department currently has more than 280 sworn vacancies, and Patterson said expanding mental health resources for officers remains a top priority, citing the cumulative toll of trauma on those responding to calls back to back. She also addressed street takeovers, reporting more than 100 arrests, 62 vehicle seizures, and 61 firearms recovered so far, and called for the broader criminal justice system ā prosecutors, judges, and courts ā to grow in step with the police department. š More here
DOJ Rolls Back Gun Regulations
The Justice Department announced more than 30 changes to federal gun regulations Wednesday, including a proposed repeal of a 2024 Biden administration rule that required background checks on firearms sales at gun shows and other venues outside traditional stores, according to NBC News. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called it the most comprehensive regulatory reform package in ATF history, saying the changes align with Supreme Court precedent and reduce burdens on lawful gun owners. The announcement came the same day the Senate confirmed Robert Cekada ā a 20-year ATF veteran ā as the agencyās director, only the third confirmed director since the position became Senate-confirmable in 2006. Gun control groups criticized the timing, noting the changes came four days after the shooting at the White House Correspondentsā Dinner. š More here
Anti-Government Violence
Domestic attacks and plots against the U.S. government reached their highest levels since at least 1994 last year, with a new shift: for the first time in 20 years, extreme-left attacks outnumbered extreme-right attacks, according to the Wall Street Journal. Of the 20 attacks and plots recorded in 2025, 10 were categorized as extreme-left and eight as extreme-right, with half the left-leaning incidents targeting immigration officers or facilities in response to the Trump administrationās enforcement crackdown. Firearms are increasingly the weapon of choice, though last yearās most common weapon was the Molotov cocktail, appearing in at least seven incidents. Three people were killed in extreme-right attacks last year and one in an extreme-left attack. The data comes as Saturdayās shooting attempt at the White House Correspondentsā Dinner has renewed focus on the rising threat environment facing government officials. š More here
Operation Red Card
Federal and local law enforcement agencies across North Texas have launched Operation Red Card, a multi-agency initiative targeting violent criminals ahead of the FIFA World Cup, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Since the operation began March 14, 132 individuals have been charged with human and drug trafficking, kidnapping, weapons offenses, and immigration violations, with more than 115 kilos of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl seized along with 81 firearms. The operation involves the DOJ, FBI, DEA, ATF, HSI, and multiple local police departments. Officials also warned that anyone flying drones over World Cup venues could face federal charges, with Arlington deploying technology to track and intercept unauthorized drones near the stadium during the nine matches scheduled there. š More here
From Kill Pen to Catching Criminals
Kelly, the NYPD mounted horse whose viral body-cam footage showed him helping chase down a purse snatcher on Manhattan's Upper West Side, is a rescued standardbred racehorse who was saved from slaughter in 2020, according to CBS New York. The Standardbred Retirement Foundation, a New Jersey nonprofit that rescues 300 to 800 racehorses annually, rehabbed Kelly before the NYPD Mounted Unit discovered him six months later ā and he's been with the department ever since. Foundation director Judith Bokman said she recognized Kelly immediately in the viral footage. For every horse like Kelly who gets a second chance, she noted, countless others remain in kill pens waiting to be saved. š“ More here
108 Officers Shot in 2026 So Far
The National Fraternal Order of Police reports that 108 officers have been shot in the line of duty through April 30, 2026 ā down 1% from the same period in 2025 and down 20% from 2024, according to the Fraternal Order of Police. Of those, 14 were killed, up 16% from 2025 but down 30% from 2024. Particularly concerning is the ambush trend ā 21 ambush-style attacks have occurred so far this year, resulting in 26 officers shot and 5 killed. š Report here
Court Eyes Geofence Warrants
The U.S. Supreme Court appeared inclined Monday to allow police use of geofence warrants ā which collect location data from cellphones near a crime scene during a specific time window ā in a case stemming from a 2019 Virginia bank robbery, according to the Associated Press. The justices seemed skeptical of arguments that the warrants are too broad to comply with the Fourth Amendmentās prohibition on unreasonable searches, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor noting the warrant in question āidentifies a place, a crime, a timeframe.ā The court appeared eager to avoid a sweeping ruling, possibly limiting geofence warrants by time and geography rather than banning or fully endorsing them. The case highlights a split between federal appeals courts ā one upholding geofence warrants, another declaring them categorically unconstitutional. āļø More here
Gun Deaths by The Numbers
Around 44,000 people died from gun-related injuries in the United States in 2024 ā the fifth-highest annual total on record ā though the number fell for the third consecutive year, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of CDC data. The breakdown reveals two diverging trends: gun homicides have dropped 27% since a record high in 2021, falling to 15,364 in 2024, while gun suicides have risen to an all-time high of 27,593 ā accounting for 62% of all gun deaths. Handguns were involved in 53% of gun murders, while rifles accounted for just 3%. Active shooter incidents also declined sharply, from 61 in 2021 to 24 in 2024. State-by-state variation is dramatic, with Mississippi recording the highest gun death rate at 28 per 100,000 people and Hawaii the lowest at 3.7 per 100,000. š Full report